Whole Eggplant?

[Xabia Jim]

Our favorite restaurant is Corral de Pato in Gata....they grill and roast using wood. I remember watching them at the end of the day throw whole batches of dough in the brick oven after finishing cooking.....making the bread for the next day's crowd. Our favorite dish is duck in fruit sauce you must order ahead.

One of their appetizers is a mixture of roasted red peppers, onions and eggplant in olive oil.

Now it appears that the eggplant has been roasted whole. It comes out without any skin and sometimes has light toasting marks and flavor. Does anyone have experience doing whole eggplants like this? I'm guessing they roast it whole and then scoop it out of the skin.

It's on my list to try and duplilcate....

[Xabia Jim]

Re: Whole Eggplant?

We did the eggplant yesterday. Cut two medium eggplant in half, put some marinade on the top...about a tablespoon ...and popped them in the oven in a round terra cotta dish.

I turned them over once onto the cut side and then poured in some meat drippings to keep them from drying too much.

Took them out, scooped out the eggplant and served it alongside the roasted red peppers with an olive oil drizzle.

Next time I'll roast some onions as well to match the favorite dish we enjoy....

It was pretty easy and turned out delicious.

[james]

Re: Whole Eggplant?

Jim,

How does this appetizer work? I've done a lot of grilled eggplant where you slice the eggplant, sear it on a grill pan, then let it cool and marinate it.

How did the "roast and scoop out" method work? How did it taste and what does it look like? More, more.

James

[Xabia Jim]

Re: Whole Eggplant?

James, this was relatively simple and makes a delicious appetizer or side dish. The nice thing is it cooks alongside whatever you're already doing.

When we have it at the Duck restaurant, it's served in a flat dish with three distinct piles....roasted eggplant scoopings, roasted red pepper slicings and roasted onion pieces (translucent)....with a little olive oil over the dish. It's typically part of the first course that includes bread, salad and cocas.

We have now done two of the three and the onions will be next. I will just cut onions in half and bake them, then slice once or twice to serve with the eggplant and peppers. (the red onion recipe would work fine but I'm not sure about the honey balsamic flavor with this dish)

When the eggplant was finished there was a burnt crust on the cut side so I had turned them over and poured in some drippings. (On our second try we did normal eggplant halves and I put in a little olive oil when I turned them so they don't stick.) After turning, the skin side is up and they baked a while longer. They almost look overdone and are starting to wrinkle a bit.

They are then sent to the kitchen to cool. Essentially, remove the inner roasted eggplant from the skin and crust, serve and eat! The scoopings should be more than a mouthfull but easily transferred to your plate to cut and eat. This dish is served warm to cool, and you might have some bread to soak up the drippings.

[DrakeRemoray]

Re: Whole Eggplant?

I had roasted some eggplants before, directly on the coals...
Post of that event is here

[Inishta]

Re: Whole Eggplant?

The crossover in the mediterranean cooking is apparent with this Turkish meze (starter). The red peppers and aubergines (eggplant or patlican all the same vegetable) are roasted whole until blackened. Removed and steamed in a paper bag or, as described elsewhere, in a bowl under cling film. They are then cleaned. I find the easiest way to deal with the eggplant is using a sharp paring knife slipped under the skin at the stem end and run down under the skin to the base. The veg are then roughly chopped and combined in a bowl. Finished with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a grind of sea salt.

Awesome done either in a WFO or straight onto the BBQ.