Monday, June 16, 2008

Double Vision

I recently discovered the joy of egg plant. I made it two weekends in a row, each with different results. I've determined I like it as dry as possible. This is how I came to that conclusion.

Both recipes start with washing and slicing the egg plant. At first, I couldn't decide if I wanted rounds or planks.


After slicing a few rounds, I chose planks.


After you've sliced the egg plant, add it to a colander and sprinkle it liberally with kosher salt. I got the technique from Cook's Illustrated.
The salt draws out the water in the egg plant.
I let the egg plant sit for 30 minutes. I turned it with my hands and let it sit for 30 minutes longer. I then pressed the slices between paper towels until the slices turned green.


I placed the slices on a sheet pan, drizzled them olive oil and seasoned them with salt, pepper and za'atar.

I roasted them until they caramelized. This was my favorite cooking method.
The next week, I followed the steps above, except I sliced the veggies into thicker planks. I grilled them on a grill pan. Pretty, but not very tasty.

Tools of the trade:

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