Guest Blogger: Dan's Gratin

Former Aubergenius sous-chef and accomplished amateur cook Dan Wang contributes the following entry on vegetable (+eggplant!) gratin.

This vegetable gratin - which I made first for myself and then for the Aubergenius a week later - is from Thomas Keller's Ad Hoc at Home. It's very simple, but, as always with Keller, it can become tremendously refined if everything is balanced and sliced exactly.

The onions and garlic are cooked really slowly for a good 20-30 minutes (with thyme) so they don't brown: this forms the base of the gratin.

 Then you slice (absolutely equally) the japanese eggplant, roma tomatoes, various zucchini, squash.

 These are laid out in rows with a heavy sprinkling of breadcrumbs mixed with fresh grated parmesan between each. 

If the veggies are sliced exactly equally, the bite of each should be absolutely the same - slightly al dente, slightly creamy - which should match the bite/creaminess of the onions and result in a harmonious texture.

So, a great prep exercise and a great challenge to keep coming back to. Plus, a tasty dish with eggplant in it.

I (Aubergenius, and therefore not in italics) can attest that this dish is really tasty, especially with an imaginary sour cream/horseradish mixture that we didn't actually eat it with because I couldn't make it to the store beforehand. But we agreed that it would probably taste good.

Happy Eggplanukah! Merry Aubergistmas!

For many of you, today is a very special day.

I, however, being a member of American Jewry, do not happen to celebrate Christmas. You have permission to gasp.

While I feel nothing but hearts and snuggles regarding Christmas cheer, keep in mind that tonight is also the sixth night of Chanukah. It seems only fitting to bring EGGPLANT LATKES to the table. Literally. (Wow, am I on fire tonight, or what?? Oh wait, my glib-filter is malfunctioning.)

My mother gets 100% of the credit for these scrumptious eggplant-chickpea latkes, considering that I was under the weather with a cold at the time and my germs were not appetizing to anyone. 

This recipe results in latkes with a nice crispy crunch, in part owing to the use of chickpea flour which reacts well to frying (think of onion bhaji or pakora, for instance). The only downside to this dish is that it doesn't actually taste like eggplant. It tastes like salty, eggy, crispy fried deliciousness... in other words, like latkes. 

Ingredients:

2 med. eggplants, peeled and shredded
2 c. chickpea flour
6 eggs
1 onion, finely minced
About 2 t. salt
Pepper

Handful of parsley

Oil for frying

Shredding and peeling and shredding, oh my!

Mixing the ingredients together.  A straightforward process. 

Heat up a good 1/2 inch of frying oil (canola, corn and peanut are the best).**  Fry like ordinary latkes.

Delicious with sour cream or applesauce from last year's jar that you just discovered in the pantry. 

Brought to you by Eggplanukah!

In conclusion, happiest of holidays, regardless of what you celebrate. (Eggplantnog, anyone?)



** Note: My mother the latke master (and yes, she is the master, because this year she fried 18 dozen latkes for a total of 3.5 hours) advises the use of grapeseed oil rather than canola, which allegedly releases a fishy smell when heated.

Indian Eggplants... Again

Though I have featured this same recipe before, the Indian lunch I made today was picturesque enough to make it to the blog.

From left to right: rasam soup, a plate of sliced tindoras, chiles, cilantro and lime pickle, date chutney, eggplants, and parathas.

I was inspired to make pseudo-Indian after a vegan/vegetarian dinner at Arya Bhavan on Chicago's Devon strip. It wasn't the best Indian food I've ever had, but every menu item has a vegan alternative (unusual for a cuisine which is heavy on the ghee).

The best thing about South Indian: lots of cute little bowls.

After a trip to a nearby grocery in which Indian eggplants abounded, I decided to re-make the dish I featured back in May: fried eggplants with onion-date chutney, served with parathas and homemade rasaam soup.

Indian eggplants at the grocery.

Indian eggplants in my kitchen.

Sous-chef Josh fries eggplants coated in spiced chickpea flour.

One largish YUM.

Eggplant and Tomato Tart

Over the weekend, a great deal of fooding occurred.

I made six tarts (four pictured here): zucchini tart, leek and fennel tart, mushroom tart, and eggplant and tomato tart, as well as greens and feta casserole, bulgur wheat salad, and edamame salad.

Notice the eggplant?

Unfortunately, because making pretty much anything other than garnished mediterranean side salads is not my forte, I messed up a bit on the tart crust. I was trying to make the eggplant tart vegan, so I used olive oil instead of butter according to this recipe, but the crust wouldn't hold together and I ended up having to roll it with a glass over the pan, then mash the edges into a low wall. And it also didn't help that I misread the salt quantity and the crust was about as inedible as the ocean.

So that particular tart wasn't the greatest success. But since the crust (and not the eggplant) was its fatal flaw, I figured I would share the process anyhow. You can substitute your favorite tart crust recipe -- just be sure to pre-bake the crust, since this tart has no custard and therefore doesn't need to bake long.

Ingredients
Tart dough for a 9 or 11-inch tart pan, rolled square on a baking sheet with edges folded over to form crust, then pre-baked according to recipe
1 medium/large eggplant, cut in 1/2 inch rounds
4 medium tomatoes, cut in thin rounds
1/2 cup ajvar (red pepper spread)
fresh basil

First coat the eggplant slices generously in olive oil and roast in the oven (350 degrees will do) until soft, but still structurally intact. Sprinkle slices with salt after they are done.

Meanwhile, do stuff to your dough according to whatever recipe you use.

After tart shell has pre-baked, spread the bottom with ajvar. 

Layer with fresh basil leaves.

Then layer eggplant and tomato slices in whatever manner you find aesthetically pleasing.

This is not an eggplant tart. But it exemplifies just how fun it is to layer slices of things on top of other slices of things.

Bake at 400 degrees until tomatoes are slightly shriveled and lightly browned, about 20 minutes.

You can sprinkle fresh basil and ground pepper on top if you wish.

So apart from the horrific crust on my tart, the general idea was successful. The moisture from the tomatoes keeps the eggplant soft and prevents the tart from becoming too dry.

And with this, tart-week is concluded. (With the exception of the two leftover tarts in my fridge, which I must to give away so as not to consume my weight in butter.)

Lycopene Stew

This week I am up to the neck in obligations... but somehow I couldn't resist making a giant pot of eggplant mush.

As usual with eggplant mush: tastes delicious, looks strangely nasty.

This eggplant salad is inspired by the so-called "house eggplant" at Falafel King, a Mediterranean chain in Denver and Boulder. I frequented Falafel King in middle school and I recall that the pita sandwiches -- which always broke at the bottom and bled copious amounts of tomato sauce and tahini dressing -- reminded me of eggplant sloppy joes.

The key to this salad is a long cooking time, allowing the tomato paste to become richer in flavor. Note that I made a double recipe so that I'll have plenty left over -- the massive quantity you see in the photos is completely unnecessary.

Ingredients
1 medium/large eggplant
1 large or 2 small onions
1 red bell pepper or 2 slender sweet peppers
1/2 jalapeño
3 cloves garlic (no joke)
1 1/2 small cans tomato paste
salt, pepper, cumin, coriander
1 pinch sugar
lots of olive oil

Cut the onions and peppers into thin slivers. Saute in olive oil until somewhat softened.  Meanwhile, cut eggplant into slivers.

Ancient sweet peppers are kind of cool-looking.

These large chunks of jalapeños are somewhat ballsy -- you can dice them if you wish.

You can't tell from this picture, but this eggplant is 14" long. I've nicknamed it "Dolly."

Fries! Or... not.

Add tomato paste, crushed garlic, and a generous swoop of olive oil to the onions. Saute the tomato paste until it darkens, stirring frequently to avoid burning, ca. 10 minutes.

Mmm.  <--- brilliant caption

Add eggplant slivers and coat with tomato mixture. Add about 2 cups water and cover.

Cook on medium until eggplants gradually reduce down and soften. Stir relatively frequently and add water as necessary. The sauce should have the approximate consistency of marinara. When the eggplants are so soft that you can cut through them with a fork, the salad is done.

About 10 minutes in.

About 30 minutes in. Note that it will take less time if you avoid using giant genetically-modified eggplants.

Turn off heat. Season with salt, pepper, a pinch of sugar, and desired spices -- I suggest cumin and coriander, but you can experiment as you wish. Chopped fresh parsley couldn't hurt, either.

Serving suggestions: eat inside falafel sandwiches (of course), on rice or couscous, on bread as an appetizer, or straight out of the bowl. It's lycopene-lickin' good.

Eggplants of Chinatown, Episode 2: Eggplant with garlic sauce

Last week I paid another visit to Lao Sze Chuan in Chicago's Chinatown -- but I was discouraged from being adventurous owing to my negative experience last time, in which my eggplant dish swam in so much oil that it gave me indigestion. This visit, I opted for the boring but ever-tasty eggplant with garlic sauce, a safe choice. 

Facts:

This dish is delicious.
I am incapable of making it.
This needs to change. 

And since most of us know what eggplant with garlic sauce tastes like, this entry is now terminated.


BUT WAIT
I made leek and fennel tarts today! They... may or may not have excluded eggplant... but a photo couldn't hurt... because I'll put eggplant in the next tarts, I promise...

My form of "studying" for my French translation exam tomorrow. Caramelized leeks, fennel, onions, custard, with some asparagus on top and a rosemary olive oil crust.

Eggplants in Seattle, Episode 3: Issaquah Farmer’s Market

The farmer’s market in Issaquah is one of the largest and nicest I’ve seen, including about half a dozen flower stalls, bakeries, food stands, fresh pasta in bizarre flavors, dozens of fruit and vegetable vendors, handmade soaps and crafts, and even live entertainment. In a setting like this, eggplants weren’t hard to find.  I observed them peeking around every corner.

But for the most part, the market did not feature unusual varieties of eggplant. The sole exception was Darrell from Westover Farm in Maple Valley, who sells a Japanese/Chinese variety called Kaga Nasu. These large, bulbous eggplants are special in that they are virtually seedless. Westover Farm attests that they are the only vendor for this variety in the area, with the next closest residing in Portland.

"Nasu" meaning "eggplant" in Japanese

At this stage, I would normally demonstrate what I did with the Kaga Nasu eggplant we bought – Farmer Darrell recommended slicing it into thick “steaks” and grilling with olive oil – but on our busy trip, we didn’t have a chance to cook it before the top of the eggplant softened with rot. I cut the top off and left it in my grandparents’ fridge, where it hopefully will get chopped up and put in the daily frittata. Ah vell.

Also, one more note: GRILLING. OMG. I don’t have a grill, and therefore can’t fully express to you the wonders of grilled eggplant.

The product of my uncle's master-grilling.

 In the meantime, I’m going to experiment with attaining that smoky flavor in the oven. Supposedly if you coat the eggplant skin in oil first before baking it, the burning oil smokes the eggplant slightly, but I have yet to attain good results.