Till the Sweat Drips Down My...Eggplant

Guys, spring is HERE. And not a moment too soon - my poor Californian bones need to thaw after the frigid winter we've had. Spring is fickle, though, and beautiful days come interspersed with thunderstorms and cold winds, so today I'm going to share a recipe that's perfect for either scenario: Roasted Eggplant with Basil Tomato Sauce.

I have to admit, I used to despise eggplant, but in recent years I've developed a serious love affair with this little veggie. Roasting is my favorite way to prepare it, because the spices really settle into the eggplant and the texture of the "meat" gets soft and creamy. The acidity of the tomatoes and freshness of the basil and lemon in the sauce are a great complement to the smoky, hearty eggplants, and the dish is super versatile so you can serve it as a main course or an appetizer.

One unfortunate thing about eggplant is that it absorbs a ridiculous amount of oil when you cook it, leaving it chewy and soggy and awful. The secret way to get around this? Let your eggplant sweat. I'm not kidding - if you pour a ton of salt of your eggplant and leave it for 10 minutes, the salt will draw out a bunch of liquid from the vegetable, which you can then rinse off before you cook it. For whatever reason (science!), this makes the eggplant unable to absorb as much oil, and also gets rid of the bitter taste you sometimes get with bigger specimens. Healthier, tastier, and fun to watch.

So go forth and salt those eggplants, my friends!

Roasted Eggplant with Spicy Tomato Sauce

Serves 4 as an appetizer, or 2 as a main course

1 large purple eggplant (about 1 pound)
¼ cup salt
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
½ onion
3 cloves garlic
juice from ½ of a lemon
2 cans diced tomatoes (14.5 ounces each)
½ cup basil
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil to coat your pan

Preheat your oven to 450 F. Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil and lightly grease it with olive oil. Slice your eggplant into ½  inch thick rounds (about the width of your thumb), then put the slices in a colander in the sink and just salt the shit out of them. Seriously, don't be shy - pour salt all over those bad boys. You're going to wash it all off soon, so your arteries don't need to worry.

Salty dogs. 

After 10 minutes or so, you should see fat droplets of water all over the eggplant slices. Hooray! Rinse them well to get rid of all that salt and place them on your baking tray. Sprinkle a little bit of cumin, paprika, salt, and pepper over each slice, then pop the sheet in the oven for 20 minutes.

Look at these pretty little things!

While the eggplants are roasting away, you can make your sauce. Dice the onion, mince the garlic, and coarsely chop the basil. Heat a little olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Throw in the onion and sauté it for about 2 minutes, then add the garlic and cook for another 5 minutes, or until the onion bits are translucent. Pour in the lemon juice and the diced tomatoes - if you want a thicker sauce, I recommend draining some of the liquid, but it's totally up to you! Stir this tomato-y mess around until it's bubbling, then add the basil and as much salt and pepper as you please. Turn off the heat and set the sauce aside until your eggplants are ready to go. 

The goods (plus habanero on the right because I can't help myself)

You can check to see if the eggplants are done by sticking a fork into the middle of one round - it should feel really really soft, like you're poking a toothpick into a stick of warm butter. If that weird analogy sounds about right, you're all set! Serve the eggplants on top of a bed of couscous with the tomato sauce on the side for a main dish, or pour the tomato sauce directly on top and garnish with leftover basil for a juicy appetizer. Enjoy!