the amazing aubergine thread!

[moose]

They are really absorbent - they will soak up about half a litre of olive oil if you let them. But I roast them on a really high heat with that spray oil stuff which is less bad.

The thing is, they soak up loads of oil, but then if you cook them a little bit longer, they give it all back again, so you can drain it off.

 

[janeb]

But back to Nigel, he also has a lovely house - see photo's in latest book which he says are 'real life'

<not that I'm stalking him or anything, oh no, just like the house and esp the dining table area>

 

[Space Girl]

I do, usually.
It depends what I'm going to do withthem. If they're going to be cubed and cooked gently for a sauce then I'll always salt them.
If I'm going to fry them and I have time, I'll salt them because it decreases the amount of splatter!
On the other hand, if I'm going to roast the crap out of them I don't always bother.
I think it makes a difference, but maybe I'm just very impressionable

ETA: the point is to leech out some of the slightly bitter juice- I definitely makes a difference for slightly past their best aubergines, but for fresh beauties I'm not so sure.
And it does seem to firm up the flesh a bit, but I've never bothered to halve an aubergine and make the same recipe with salted and unsalted versions...

same here, if I am roasting them then no salt but all other times I salt them, you do rinse the salt off don't you?

 

[lizzieloo]

My sister has a real thing for aubergines so I really couldn't resist this

when I saw it. reet chuffed she was

 

[perplexis]

same here, if I am roasting them then no salt but all other times I salt them, you do rinse the salt off don't you?

Oh yeah, totally! Forgot to say that Could turn out some seriously, um, special recipes otherwise, yeeesh
And then pat dry with kitchen paper if deep frying (alternatively, I read that just dipping them in beaten egg-white before frying will prevent the oil from spitting).
Handy tips'r'us...

 

[Mrs Miggins]

I have the sneaking suspicion he prefers men. Read his book "Toast".

Well, nobody's perfect

 

[pinky]

mrs miggins i'll have that indian recipe please!

I had more aubergine last night - needed a healthy dinner after a heavy weekend of wrongunness so i

chopped
aubergine
courgette
red onion
clove of garlic
red & yellow pepper
mushrooms
1 par boiled potato

fecked em all onto a baking tray, spray oil all over 'em, cajun seasoning

into the oven for 40 mins

then sprinkled some cubes of feta cheese on top

5 more mins in the oven to melt the cheese

MMMMM gorgeous