Aubergine - cooking tip

Try slicing one and baking the slices on a oiled tray. Add to toasted pieces of baguette or other good bread with the audition of some tomatoes baked alongside with garlic and very thinly sliced courgette. Sprinkle with olive oil and garnish with fresh basil leaves.

Does anyone put salt on the slices of aubergine, then put a heavy plate on top of them, thus allowing juice to depart the plant> Lots of recipes recommend this, as it helps the flavour. I confess - I can't tell the difference.

Naw, I am64, I don't bother with that.

Mice, that sounds tasty!

No Iam. It used to be recommended many years ago as old varieties sometimes had a bitter taste. New improved varieties don't.

For aubergine lovers there are many wonderful recipes in Caudia Roden's Book of Middle Eastern Cookery.

I heard that the need to salt them has been bred out in recent years. I stopped doing it and can't taste the difference.

I used to do that, iam64, but don't bother any more. They don't seem to need it.

Nice just sliced and done in a (little) olive oil on hotplate of the bbq

I love Brinjal pickle, nicer than very sharp lime or oversweet mango.
I'll try your tip GK and yours, MiceElf.
<goes off to kitchen, mouth watering>

We barbecue aubergines whole, along with peppers, courgettes and onions. When they are blackened and cooked we put them (separately) into brown paper bags for about 15 minutes then remove the skin and slice and cover with olive oil, salt and pepper. We first had this in Catalunya where it is known as escalivada.
As an accompaniment to curry, I cut aubergine into batons, rub with turmeric, chilli powder and a bit of salt, leave for a couple of hours and then cook on an oven tray with a bit of olive oil.

They really do need to be cooked very fast at a high temperature until they are "squishy".
I have had a number of grilled or spit roasted Aubergines that have been inedible. The term "as tough as old boots" comes to mind. They are nice when done properly though.

Cut into cubes, put into a freezer bag with mixture of spices - cumin, coriander, turmeric, chilli....whatever, plus ground black pepper. Shake it about and allow aubergine to absorb the spices. Heat oil in frying pan or wok and fast fry. I might have adapted that from Madhur Jaffrey. Have done something similar with potatoes.

If you do them on an oven tray, you use far less oil, Anno. I always do them that way for a moussaka too.

That sounds delicious, and wonderfully easy anno, thanks

Hi Mamie I'll give that a try, I find they really soak up oil when you fry them.