Summer is a great time to cook pork spare ribs!

Salt It or Don't?

Peel it or leave the skin on?
Fry, grill, roast, sauté... or simmer?

I'd planned to show a tray of delicious eggplant rollatini with a bowl of rigatoni as the photo for this post—something that looked like Sunday dinner after church and before the football games begin. But things changed. Junnie decided to simmer the Thai eggplants I'd been growing in the garden for curry, with mushrooms, lemongrass and ginger in chicken broth. Amazing!

And that's one of the things I love about eggplant. There isn't just one way to cook it.

I grew up eating eggplant prepared the Italian way—salted, pressed, floured and fried in olive oil for eggplant parmigiana. One of my favorite memories is a cold eggplant parmigiana sandwich made from the leftovers. Somehow, it always tastes better the next day.

My mother's family layered hard-boiled egg slices into their eggplant parmigiana. She told me the village in Calabria where her family came from was very poor, and the eggs were an important source of protein. So, should you salt eggplant?

My answer is: it depends. Older varieties could be quite bitter, and salting helped draw out some of that bitterness and excess moisture. Many of today's eggplants are less bitter, so I don't automatically salt them.

Here's my bigger tip: eggplant absorbs both salt and fat very easily.

These days, I often bake eggplant slices in the oven or grill them instead of pan-frying. Grilling gives eggplant a wonderful smoky flavor. I still love deep-fried eggplant, but I save it for when I really want it.

Another preparation I love is stuffed eggplant. Cut the eggplant in half lengthwise, score around the perimeter with a paring knife, and make cross-cuts inside the scored area. Roast or fry the halves, scoop out the cooked flesh, season it with vegetables and/or ground meat, shredded cheese and return the mixture to the shells and bake until hot and browned. Eggplant pairs beautifully with basil, oregano and mint, and I especially enjoy it with lamb.



The variety matters, too. Thai and other Asian eggplants are very different from the large Italian or American purple varieties. Some have thin, tender skins and small seeds, so I don't peel them. With larger eggplants, I decide based on the variety and the recipe.

My tip: don't treat every eggplant the same. Know the variety you're working with, then choose the cooking method that suits it.

How do you prepare eggplant—salted or unsalted, peeled or unpeeled?

Let's Keep Learning Together

What topic would you like me to cover in a future Cooking Class Minute? I'm always looking for ideas from fellow cooks, chefs, and food enthusiasts.

                                               Chef Tom Griffiths, Certified Master Chef
                           Former CIA Instructor • R&D Chef • Hospitality Advisory Consultant

       "Helping chefs, entrepreneurs, and food companies create exceptional food products."