Prepare baked Eggplant

Eggplant, the “queen of the night”, are at home in oriental and Mediterranean cuisine. The Eggplants, also known as Aubergines, taste particularly delicious in casseroles, marinated or baked. The most well-known form is Solanum melongena with its club-shaped, dark violet to black appearing, about 20 cm long fruit. However, other forms can also be white (egg-colored, hence the name) or white and purple.

Since the unripe and young fruits of the black aubergine, which is around 20 cm long and sold most frequently, are not suitable for raw consumption due to their content of bitter substances and solanine, they are steamed, fried or boiled and eaten as vegetables. Tip: If you come across an “eggplant” on a menu in the UK and a “melanzana” in Italy, it’s a dark purple aubergine.

Table of contents:

• Prepare Eggplant
• Peel the Eggplant
• Eat Eggplant raw?
• Process Eggplant
• Recipe: stuffed eggplant
• Recipe: marinated eggplant
• Prepare baked Eggplant in German
• Now it's your turn, your support is needed

Prepare Eggplant

Like other vegetables, aubergines may contain small amounts of nicotine. Depending on the study, the amount varies between “not detectable” and 100 micrograms per kilogram of fruit. Occasionally will claims that the nicotine content of the Aubergine is particularly high. This rumor is based on an old analysis that has since been shown to be incorrect on several occasions.

So, let’s get started: Cut the aubergine into 0.5 cm thick slices, brush with good olive oil and place on a baking tray, spread the finely chopped garlic on top and bake in a preheated oven at 200°C for 15 minutes. Arrange on a flat plate and top with olive oil and some fresh watercress, if you like. A little salt and freshly ground pepper should not be missing. A freshly baked pizza bread with garlic and olive oil goes well with it.

Peel the Eggplant

Peeling an Eggplant is very easy by placing it in boiling water for about 1-2 minutes. This makes it easy to peel off the skin.

Eat Eggplant raw?

The Aubergine is one of the few vegetables that should not be eaten raw. Eggplants are slightly bitter when raw, unripe fruits contain the poison Solanine. For this reason, the aubergine is always cooked. Despite all this, it can be prepared in many ways. Eggplants are best sliced, breaded and fried. In addition, aubergines can wonderfully enrich a ratatouille.

Process Eggplant

Eggplant are also great stuffed. Whether with meat or vegetarian, for example with leftover risotto. To do this, cut the aubergine lengthwise so that one third remains as a lid. Then simply hollow out with a spoon to a wall thickness of 0.5 centimeters. Now brush the eggplant with good olive oil and place in the hot oven (200 degrees) for almost 15 minutes. Mix the hollowed-out flesh of the aubergine, shredded, with an equal amount of risotto, or whatever you like, and season with fresh garlic, chives, salt, and pepper. Fill the mixture into the aubergine, sprinkle with cheese if you like and bake in the oven again. There are no limits to versatility.

Recipe: stuffed eggplant

You should have the following at home:

1 eggplant
2 tomatoes
50 g champignons or forest mushrooms
2 spring onions
50 g of medieval Gouda
White pepper
1 onion
1 fresh garlic clove
500 g of tomato passata
Sweet paprika
Parsely
sugar
Salt

It is prepared as follows: wash the eggplant, cut in half and hollow out. Cut the hollowed-out flesh into small pieces. Wash and dice the tomatoes. Slice the mushrooms or wild mushrooms. Wash parsley and chop finely. Cut the scallions into rings. Grate the Gouda – then mix the vegetables, herbs and cheese, season with salt and pepper and fill into the aubergine. And now for a good 30 – 35 minutes in the oven at 180 degrees circulating air or 200 degrees top and bottom heat. While baking, peel and finely chop the onion and garlic. Heat good olive oil and stew in it. Add the tomato passata and season with salt, pepper, paprika and a pinch of sugar. Arrange the eggplant on the tomato sauce and garnish with parsley.

You can have stuffed aubergines on your table in just over 40 minutes.

Recipe: marinated eggplant

the following you should have in the house:

1 eggplant
3 spring onions, finely chopped
3 fresh garlic cloves, chopped
1 tablespoon white sesame, toasted and ground
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tablespoon of sugar
1/4 teaspoon chilli powder (if you like it)

It is prepared as follows: Wash the aubergine and cut off the stem end. Cut into thin slices and steam over boiling water (in a pot steamer) for 10 minutes. Squeeze out excess liquid or leave to rest briefly on kitchen paper. Place in a shallow bowl. Mix the remaining ingredients into a marinade and pour over the eggplant. Now let it steep for at least 4 hours and then just enjoy.

Prepare baked Eggplant in German

You can find this article in German at www.rolfkocht.de as “Gebackene Aubergine zubereiten: So geht’s”

Now it's your turn, your support is needed.