Grilled eggplants
01/07/2018
: 4
: 35 min
: 45 min
: 1 hr 20 min
: Easy
Eggplants have a bad reputation with many people. If they are badly prepared they have a shallow, watery and bitter taste. For a long time I wasn't a fan. Maybe I have eaten a bit too much bad ratatouille...? With this recipe the honor of the eggplant is restored! What is so lovely about eggplants is that you can prepare them in endless ways. In this base recipe the pure flavor of the eggplant shines through, but do not hesitate to experiment. For example, replace the salt with anchovies or finish off with goat cheese and pommegranate seeds! Ideal as a side dish for a BBQ, but with a savory topping it can also perfectly become a worthy main course.
Ingredients
- 2 large eggplants
- Salt
- 2 cloves of garlic
- Fresh thyme
- Black pepper
- Olive oil
Directions
- Step 1 Cut the eggplants lenghtwise in halve and carefully carve the eggplant in a grid manner without piercing the skin.
- Step 2 Spread the eggplants open with two fingers and season the salt in between the carvings. Leave the eggplants to rest with the cut side down for half an hour. The salt will ensure that part of the liquid is released. As a result the eggplant will have a more concentrated flavor.
- Step 3 Preheat the oven at 200°C.
- Step 4 Slightly squeeze the released liquid from the eggplants and pat dry with kitchen paper.
- Step 5 Cut the garlic in thin slices and divide together with some young thyme sprigs between the carvings of the eggplant.
- Step 6 Oil the eggplants on the cut side with olive oil (approximately 1 tablespoon for each half).
- Step 7 Season with black pepper.
- Step 8 Place the eggplants in the oven with the cut side down on an oiled baking plate or baking paper and bake for approximately 45 minutes at 200°C.
Hi there! I am Pieter from Antwerp (Belgium) and welcome to my foodblog! As an avid foodie I do not only enjoy dining out but also love cooking myself. Through "zot van smaak" I wish to share my own recipes with the rest of the world and also want to challenge myself to create new recipes and flavor combinations.
On this website you can expect a variety of recipes. I don't like to limit myself to a certain cuisine so you can expect many dishes that use flavors and spices from all over the world.
Have fun cooking!