Red the eggplant

Say wine, snacks or haute cuisine and the gourmands of online food magazine FavorFlav know where to drink, how to eat it and what to cook. This time our chefs serve you: the tastiest recipe for making eggplants.

We recently called for eating more fries, now I gladly jump in to defend the best vegetable in the world: the eggplant. Just like the potato farmers, Dutch eggplant growers are facing huge surpluses now that restaurants are still closed and exports are nil.

It won't be my fault. I eat eggplants as if my life depends on it: in shakshuka, as fries, with miso or as baba ganoush. Eggplant is amazing and more people should benefit from it. Not only because they are healthy and affordable, but also to save them from extinction. Because if the eggplant growers don't survive the crisis, where will we get our eggplants from later? Exactly. The eggplant must be saved and the best way to do that is to eat as many as possible.

How do you prepare eggplant well?
Now I often hear the argument that eggplants are not tasty at all. Too rubbery, too tough, too flat in flavor. Sorry, but that really depends on your cooking skills. Emma already wrote it: eggplant needs heat, fat, and time. Those pale, rubbery eggplant cubes? They only turn out that way because you put too little fat in the pan, don't set the heat high enough, and are too impatient.

Heat, fat, and time
Eggplant absorbs a lot of fat, which means the pan is often almost dry again right after you add the oil. The solution? More oil. You absolutely do not have to deep fry (although I can highly recommend that too), but there should always be a small layer of oil in the pan. This ensures nice browning on the outside and extra flavor.

Also, do not take the eggplant out of the pan until all sides are nicely deep brown and the inside is soft. With enough heat, the hard, bitter inside turns into sweet, soft, and almost creamy. Mmmm.

Soft and smoky
Do you prefer to cook with a little less fat? Just place your eggplant over an open flame. Turn it occasionally until the outside is completely charred. You can then peel it off, and what you have left is super soft, flavorful, smoky eggplant. Perfect for baba ganoush!

Text: Favorflav