Eggplant, Solanum melongena, nicknamed “bringelle”, “melongene” Where “belanger” in overseas territories, is a perennial, thorny shrub with large hairy leaves and beautiful purple flowers. Its smooth and bitter fruits can be, depending on the variety, small or large, round or long, black, purple, red or yellow, streaked with white, green or mauve…
Eggplant’s ancestors originated in southern Africa and India, and it was domesticated in Southeast Asia and southern China as early as the 10th century.e century BC. Introduced into the Mediterranean by Persian traders before the Middle Ages, it remained rare in European gastronomy until the 18th century.e century. Like the South American tomato, which arrived shortly after it, eggplant has long inspired distrust. Nicknamed “mad apple” in English, it was accused of causing melancholy. It is now a widely grown vegetable (especially in China) and consumed all over the world.
In steak
Eggplant can only be eaten cooked, with the exception of a few rare varieties, including mizunasu (small “water eggplant”), with a silky texture and mild taste, which the Japanese eat as is. By its fleshy consistency, eggplant can advantageously replace meat, in large grilled slices in a burger for example.
On toast
It can become a sublime condiment. Roasted then smoked on a bed of hay, or even burned over a wood fire, its flesh, removed with a spoon, is mixed with a little salt, chilli, a touch of garlic, a few spices, and emulsified with what you need olive oil. A treat on toast or as an accompaniment. One of our favorite recipes is that of Yotam Ottolenghi: sliced in half and grilled in the oven, the aubergine is garnished with a yogurt sauce or labné with a little garlic or tahini, salt, pepper, fresh coriander and parsley, a pinch of zaatar, a drizzle of olive oil and pomegranate seeds, which can be replaced with currants or small grapes.
Eggplant fritters: Clotilde Bato’s recipe
Ingredients for 2 to 4 people
- 1 large eggplant,
- 2 cloves garlic,
- 5 g of fresh ginger,
- 200 g of chickpea flour,
- 1 C. c. sweet or hot pepper powder,
- ½ tsp. c. turmeric powder,
- 3 pinches of baking powder,
- 2 pinches of asafoetida (Indian spice, optional),
- 1 handful of fresh coriander leaves,
- 20 cl of water,
- vegetable oil for frying.
Step 1: preparation
Cut the aubergine into slices about 5mm thick. Chop and pound the garlic and ginger. Chop the cilantro.
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