Recipe video above. This is a recipe for how to roast eggplant in the oven so each piece is plump and juicy on the inside, and beautifully caramelised on the outside. As oposed to a mushy mess, or shrivelled up and dismal! The key is: large pieces and high oven temp.Eggplant is actually really bland when raw, but it completely transforms when roasted. You don't need anything more than salt and pepper, but I've added some suggestions!
Prep Time5 minutesmins
Cook Time30 minutesmins
Course: Sides, Vegetables
Cuisine: Western
Keyword: baked aubergine, roasted eggplant
Servings: 4- 5 as a side
Author: Nagi
Ingredients
700g/ 1.2 lbeggplants(2 medium), aka aubergine
3tbspolive oil
1/2tspsalt(kosher / cooking salt, or 1/4 tsp table salt)
1/2tspblack pepper
Instructions
Preheat oven to 240°C / 450°F (220°C fan).
Line a tray with parchment/baking paper (optional - recommended for first timers so you don't lose the caramelised surface).
Cut eggplant into large cubes - 3 cm / 1.2". Place in large bowl, drizzle with oil, salt and pepper.
Toss well, spread on tray, roast 20 minutes. Turn, roast for a further 10 minutes - edges should be caramelised, soft inside, but they're not shrivelled up and dismal.
Transfer to serving plate. Delicious served plain, but see below for some finishing options.
FINISHING OPTIONS:
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (my favourite!), drizzle of fresh lemon juice, parsley, chives or green onions (for touch of freshness and colour, not so much flavour), tiny drizzle of balsamic vinegar (pop of tartness is terrific! OR drizzle of balsamic glaze), dollop of yogurt (creamy yogurt pairs really well with the juicy eggplant flesh).
Notes
Peeling - if you're bothered by eggplant skin (which I am not - I don't find it at all chewy), peel "zebra stripes" down the eggplant like this. If you don't leave at least some skin on, then the eggplant cubes are prone to collapsing and turning into mush - you need some skin to hold it together.Bitterness & salting - In the past, the standard preparation method for eggplant including salting the eggplant to remove bitterness. The eggplant of today has largely had the bitterness bred out of it so unless you have a very old, very large one, you shouldn't have this problem. I never have.However, if you can't get your head around cooking eggplant without salting it, here's how: sprinkle the cubed eggplant with 1 tsp salt, toss, leave in colander for 30 minutes. Rinse then thoroughly pat dry, toss with oil and pepper (NO SALT), roast per recipe.Select eggplants that are firm but have a bit of give, and feel heavy for their size (light = dried out inside).