Sept. 17, 2008
All About Eggplant
Chef Scott Conant Demonstrates The Versatility Of This Fruit - Yup, Technically It's A Fruit
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Cooking With Eggplant
With eggplant at its seasonal peak, Chef Scott Conant of New York's "Scarpetta" restaurant has tips on creating delicious meals for your family.
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Chef Scott Conant talks eggplant with Early Show co-anchor Maggie Rodriguez. (CBS)
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About Chef Scott Conant:
What You Need to Know About Eggplant:
RECIPES
All three of these recipes can be found in Scott's cookbook, "Bold Italian."
Grilled Eggplant, Marinated Tomato & Arugula Salad
(Serves four)
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for grilling the eggplant
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
4 basil leaves, cut into a chiffonade
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 plum tomatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch pieces
1 large or 2 medium Italian eggplants, about 1 1/2 pounds, trimmed and sliced 1/8-inch thick lengthwise
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 small bunches arugula, very well washed, dried, any tough stems removed
1 ounce grana Padano or Parmigiano-Reggiano
Marinate the tomatoes: In a medium bowl, whisk together the 1/4 cup olive oil, 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, the oregano, and basil. Season with salt and pepper. Add the tomatoes and toss to coat. Let stand at least 45 minutes at room temperature or up to 24 hours refrigerated.
Salt the eggplant: Salt the eggplant slices with about a teaspoon of salt. Put them in a colander and weight them gently. Let stand in the sink for 45 minutes to an hour. You don't need to rinse the eggplant but do pat it dry with paper towel.
Grill the eggplant: Heat an outdoor grill or a grill pan to medium-high. Brush the eggplant on both side with olive oil and grill for a couple of minutes on both sides; you want the eggplant to brown lightly and just barely crisp around the edges. Cool in a single layer, preferably on a cooling rack, so the eggplant doesn't steam and become mushy.
Dress the greens: In a small bowl, whisk together the other 1/2 cup olive oil, 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, and the mustard. Season with salt and pepper. Use some of this vinaigrette to very lightly dress the arugula just before assembling the salad.
To serve: Divide the marinated tomatoes among four large plates. Lay 6 to 8 slices of eggplant on the counter, overlapping them slightly to form a rectangle measuring about 7 inches by 5 inches. Lay a handful of the dressed arugula along the bottom edge of the eggplant and roll the eggplant around the arugula, allowing some of the arugula to peak out at both ends. Repeat until you have four rolls. Either lay one whole roll on each plate or slice each roll in half crosswise and position the halves on top of the tomatoes with their cut side down, two halves per plate. Top with shaved grana Padano or Parmigiano-Reggiano.
Eggplant Caponata
(Makes about 2 1/2 cups)
1 large eggplant (about 1 pound), cut into 1-inch cubes to yield about 2 1/2 cups 1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, more for frying the eggplant
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon capers, preferably salt-packed, well rinsed
Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
1 1/2 cups good quality tomato sauce
10 basil leaves cut into a fine julienne
1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
Salt the eggplant: Put the diced eggplant in a colander and toss with the 1 teaspoon of kosher salt. Put the colander in a clean sink, weight the eggplant, and allow the salt to draw out the excess moisture for 30 to 40 minutes.
Make the sauce: Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, capers, red pepper flakes, and a pinch of salt. Sauté until the onion is tender and light brown, about 7 minutes. Add the tomato sauce, oregano and stir to combine well. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan, and cook until the tomato sauce reduces somewhat and the flavors have melded, about 20 minutes.
Fry the eggplant: Pat the salted eggplant dry. Heat over medium-high heat enough olive oil in the bottom of a large, high sided sauté pan to cover by about 1/4-inch. Fry the eggplant in batches, adding just enough of it for one layer with room between the cubes, and stirring occasionally, until well browned and tender, 7 to 10 minutes per batch. Add more oil as needed between batches as eggplant soaks it up like a sponge. To finish: Add the basil to the tomato sauce and stir. Return all of the eggplant to the sauté pan over low heat. Add just enough of the tomato sauce to the eggplant to create a stewy mixture. (Any leftover tomato sauce can be saved and served over pasta.) Taste and season with additional salt if needed. Toss in the pine nuts just before serving.
For more recipes, go to page 2
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