Summer grilling tends to focus on meat, but vegetables also get great flavor from a stint over hot coals. So move the burgers and hot dogs to the side and make room on your grill for smoky, tender eggplant.
In this recipe from our cookbook “ Milk Street 365: The All-Purpose Cookbook for Every Day of the Year,” we halve eggplants instead of keeping them whole, exposing the flesh to the direct heat to develop deeper flavor. Making a crosshatch pattern in the flesh with a knife further increases the surface area to maximize browning.
The eggplants are cooked cut side down until well browned, then flipped and brushed with garlic oil. Bits of garlic are pushed into the cuts, where they soften and mellow. The eggplant then is covered and roasted until a skewer inserted at the narrow end of the largest eggplant half meets no resistance, then finished with a fresh salad of parsley, mint, sesame seeds and lemon zest.
We like to serve the eggplant in the charred skins, but the cooked flesh also can be scooped into a bowl, mashed and mixed with the herb mixture, then finished with olive oil and lemon juice.
If you prefer to cook the eggplant indoors, broil the oil-brushed eggplant halves cut side up on a wire rack set on a broiler-safe rimmed baking sheet.
GRILLED EGGPLANT WITH SESAME AND HERBS
Start to finish: 1 hour Servings: 6
Ingredients
2 medium eggplants, halved lengthwise
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus extra to serve
Salt and ground black pepper
6 medium garlic cloves, finely grated
½ cup finely chopped fresh parsley
½ cup finely chopped fresh mint
6 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest, plus 2 tablespoons lemon juice
Directions
Prepare a charcoal or gas grill. For a charcoal grill, spread a large chimney of hot coals evenly over one side of the grill bed; open the bottom grill vents. Heat the grill, covered, for 5 minutes, then clean and oil the cooking grate. For a gas grill, turn half of the burners to high and heat, covered, for 5 to 10 minutes, then clean and oil the grate.
Using a paring knife, carefully score the flesh of each eggplant half in a crosshatch pattern, spacing the cuts about ¾ inch apart. Be careful not to cut through the skin. Use ¼ cup of the oil to brush the eggplant flesh evenly, then season with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, stir together the remaining ¼ cup oil and the garlic.
Grill the eggplant halves cut side down on the hot side of the grill until well browned, 5 to 10 minutes. Flip the halves cut side up and move to the cooler side of the grill. Brush the garlic-oil mixture onto the flesh, using the brush to push the garlic into the cuts. Cover and cook until a skewer inserted at the narrow end of the largest eggplant half meets no resistance, 30 to 40 minutes.
In a small bowl, stir together the parsley, mint, sesame seeds, lemon zest and ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Use a spoon to carefully separate the flesh from the skin of each half, but leaving it in place. Sprinkle each half with the herb mixture, then carefully stir it into the flesh to combine. Drizzle with olive oil and the lemon juice. Serve warm or at room temperature.
EDITOR’S NOTE: For more recipes, go to Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street at 177milkstreet.com/ap
© Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
23 Comments
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餓死鬼
My dad either steams them before simply drizzling a little olive oil and soy sauce over them, or stir fries them in black bean sauce. Used to not like eggplants very much and I've warmed to them over the years. The tastiest uses I've found here so far are in curry or 麻婆 sauce. The ones up there look great for the barbecue.
Chuck
Not unfamiliar at all, but different from the multitude of ways I usually prepare it at home.
GuruMick
Steve...you spoiled my joke.
Shame.
Chuck
I like cooking, so I’m happy to get tips from people who have tried different things. The simple mozzarella and tomato sauce sounds great.
Thanks for the helpful input.
Jimizo
Ir is useful.
There can be useful tips on these threads. A pity you have to step over the dog mess littered on these these threads.
Unhygienic.
GuruMick
It's eggplants...get over it...it's not nuclear waste.
GuruMick
Steve...sounds nice...where do I obtain "hut " water. ?
At camping sites ?
GuruMick
Wallace....no need for boasting...
I'm sure your eggplants are delish !
wallace
It's a shame the same two posters make a mess of these very simple articles without posting something useful to others.
Jimizo
Just trash, isn’t it? No redeeming features whatsoever.
Stinks the site out.
Moonraker
It's almost 80% towards baba ghanoush. Just need tahini, leave out the mint and blitz it all in a blender or mash it for a great dip. Add some chilli, if you like it hotter. Eat with pita.
wallace
It lowers the tone of the neighborhood.
wallace
I bake my eggplants in my air fryer oven with Mozzarella and tomato sauce. No oil is used.
wallace
One man's eggplants are another man's aubergine.
Both are fruits from a tropical Old World plant.
wallace
GuruMick
Posting a tasty eggplant recipe is not boasting. Many people don't know what to do with eggplants.
wallace
The troll is back with her insults. Over the years on JT, there have been many articles about eggplants with people posting they didn't know how to use them, especially disliked by their children. I enjoy cooking which is a daily activity. Others do not. My favorite is Italian Eggplant Parmigiana.
People posting their opinions are not "chiming in".
gcFd1
What's the basis for your claim that many people do not know what to do with eggplants?
If this article was about chives, naturally 'ole man wallace would have something to chime in about knowing what to do with chives--when no one else does!
zibala
Calling people trolls?
ROFL!
I'll chime in--at least eggplant fits in with one's proclaimed vegan diet.
zibala
Mozzarella and tomato sauce on eggplant is different to you?
falseflagsteve
Guru
Hot water I meant bruv
K3PO
wallace - nasu whisperer.
falseflagsteve
I like making potato and aubergine curry with a nice tomato base. Get one of those jumbo tomato’s you can get for about 100 ¥ at green grocers. Bang it in hut water to soften the skin, peel it up and smash it. Add that after frying the onions and spices, I like to add plenty of chili in mine. Blends well, need to add fair amount of salt, small amount of sugar and lemon juice near the end. Right at end mixin a bit of garam add some fresh coriander and you’re sorted.
falseflagsteve
Sounds alright that, live aubergines