Eggplant (aubergine) is delicious, when it is cooked thoroughly. It gains a creamy texture unlike any other vegetable. But undercooked, and it tastes bland and rubbery! I’m sure we’ve all had an experience of undercooked eggplant that has made us want to avoid it.  

An easy way to make sure your eggplant gets all the cooking it needs is to roast it. Roasting it in the barbeque allows it to take on a smokiness that works really well to add flavour.

ROASTING WHOLE EGGPLANT

Whole roasted eggplants have a soft, smokey flesh that I use almost exclusively for making Baba Ganoush.

  1. Wash the eggplants you want to roast. Meanwhile, turn all the barbeque burners on full (get the temperature to about 200 C if you have a thermostat). Tip: To save time in the long run, I usually roast more than I need that day. Either roast extra eggplant, or combine with other vegetables to provide loads of flavoursome veges to use later in the week.
  2. Place the eggplant(s) onto the grate of the barbeque directly over the burners. The grate is better than the solid plate, as it allows the flames to add flavour more successfully. However a plate will work, if that is all you have. If you have a lid, close it. The eggplant will start cooking.
  3. Check on the eggplants approximately every five minutes. Using tongs, turn the eggplants, so that all sides get evenly cooked. Turn the heat down if you think the eggplants are cooking on the outside too quickly. You want them to roast all the way through before the skin burns completely.
  4. The eggplants are done when they are evenly cooked on all sides, the skin has gone crispy and it is very squishy when pressed with the tongs. It will have a slightly deflated look. Remove the eggplant from the barbeque to a bowl. Allow it to cool down until you can easily handle it. Allow about half an hour for this.
  5. Peel the eggplant. I find that not all eggplants roast up the same way. Sometimes you can just pull the skin off the outside. But often times the skin has hardened, and it easier to scoop the flesh out. If this is the case, start by pulling the eggplant in half. Sometimes it helps to cut off the stem first. Then cradle one half of the eggplant in your hand and use a spoon to scoop the flesh into a bowl. You often need to give the skin a strong scraping to remove all the flesh. Warning: the cooked flesh doesn’t look pretty. All good, it will get whizzed up when using it 🙂
  6. Store the roasted eggplant in a covered container in the fridge for up to a week.

ROASTING SLICED EGGPLANT

Cooking eggplant in slices is a good idea for when the eggplant is a stand alone ingredient in your final dish. For example, you are adding it to a salad or curry, or it is a layer in the Layered Vegetable Bake.

  1. Wash the eggplants you want to roast. Meanwhile, turn all the barbeque burners on full (get the temperature to about 200 C if you have a thermostat). Slice the eggplants at 1cm – 2cm thickness. You can choose to do this crossways (to make rounds) or lengthways (to make larger slices).
  2. Place the eggplant slices onto the barbeque. The grate is better than the solid plate, as it allows the flames to generate the most smokiness in the flavour of the eggplant. If you don’t want to risk the slices sticking to the grate, and potentially break apart during cooking, then I suggest the use of a silicone mat. Place the silicone mat over the grate, then arrange the slices on top. If you have a lid, close it. The eggplant will start cooking.
  3. Check on the eggplants approximately every five minutes. Using tongs, turn the eggplant slices, and move them around the silicone sheet to ensure all the slices cook evenly. Turn the heat down if you think the eggplants are browning too much before they are cooked through.
  4. The eggplants are done when they are very soft all the way through. The slices go brown, and sometimes the outside of the slice is slightly crispy. The important thing is that the flesh inside is thoroughly cooked through. My rule of thumb is that it is better to over-cook rather than under-cook eggplant. Transfer cooked slices from the barbeque to a dish as each slice finishes cooking.
  5. Store the roasted eggplant slices in a covered container in the fridge for up to a week.

Enjoy!

Main photo by Food Photographer David Fedulov on Unsplash