Cooking with Aubergines

This page is intended to introduce you to the very versatile vegetable: the aubergine.

The varieties of aubergine

The aubergine is also known in America as the eggplant. It is widely used as a vegetable throughout the Mediterranean and Asia.

It comes in many shapes and sizes. The most common one in English supermarkets is round and plump with a deep burgundy shiny skin.

However, aubergines can be quite small and their shape varies from thin and long to almost an oval shape. Their skin colour can range from white through lilacs and purples to the deep aubergine colour that we most commonly associate with the vegetable. The varigated versions can be streaked in two contrasting colours.

There is little difference in flavour between these varieties and the flesh should always be an untainted white.

Selecting and buying aubergines

When buying an aubergine its skin should look shinny and unblemished. The flesh should be firm to the touch. Avoid any vegetables with bruising or marks on the skin. In particular look around the stem to see any signs of discolouring or withering.

Take care when picking up an aubergine because its stem might be prickly. The prickles are harmless but they might give you a scratch or pierce your skin.

Methods of cooking aubergines

Aubergines need to be cooked, they are not a very palatable vegetable in the raw state. They also do not lend themselves to being boiled, which leaves them a rather pallid, soggy mass.

Frying

To fry an aubergine it needs to be cut into fairly thin slices, say no more than a quarter of an inch thick. Pour a little good quality oil (olive is best) into heavy bottomed frying pan and put over a medium heat. Add the aubergines when the oil is sizzling hot and fry on both sides until the flesh is soft all the way through.

Grilling

Aubergines are the ideal for grilling. They should be cut into rounds or sliced lengthwise and brushed with good quality oil to prevent them from drying up when grilled. Place under a hot grill. Turn the slices to brown on both sides.

This method can be used on a barbecue or griddle

casseroling

The most common way of cooking an aubergine is probably to add it as an ingredient to a casserole. The aubergine can be left in Quite big chunks when cooked like this. Baby aubergines can even be cooked whole, but they are usually best if cut with several deep incision first, to ensure that they are cooked all the way through.