Aubergine stew | Vegetables recipes | Jamie Oliver recipes (2024)

FAQs

How to cook aubergine Jamie Oliver? ›

Method. Prick the aubergines, then carefully blacken them over a direct flame on the hob (or under the grill), turning with tongs until soft inside.

As modern varieties are much less bitter, that is no longer necessary, unless you're planning to fry them – aubergines soak up oil like a sponge and salting helps reduce that.

Spread out the aubergine in a roasting tin or on a baking sheet (you may need to use two) and drizzle with the oil. Turn the pieces over with your hands and season. Roast for 15-20 mins, turning the slices halfway through cooking, or until they are dark golden on the outside and soft inside.

This is a wonderful dish on its own, but is great as a side dish. It can be used in much the same way as you would with ratatouille, or with pasta, rice, cous cous, quinoa, roasted meats and fowl, crispy skinned roast duck, and oily fish like sardines, tuna, salmon and the like.

What do eggplants go with? Flavourings: garlic, chilli, onion, basil, mint, cumin, parsley, coriander, oregano. Ingredients: haloumi, parmesan and mozzarella cheeses, anchovies, olives, tomatoes, eggs, beef, lamb, tahini, yoghurt, lemon juice, olives and olive oil.

Older recipes call for salting eggplant to draw out the bitter juices, but today's eggplants are less bitter (unless very large), so salting is largely unnecessary. It will, however, help the spongy flesh absorb less oil and crisp up like a dream.

Soak eggplant slices or cubes in milk for about 30 minutes before cooking. The milk not only tempers the bitterness, but it actually makes for eggplant that is extra creamy, since the vegetable acts like a sponge and soaks up a good amount of milk in its flesh.

Eggplants are known to absorb a lot of fat while cooking. A useful tip to prevent sogginess and greasiness is to salt sliced or diced eggplant and let it sit for an hour. This helps to draw out moisture. Next, rinse and drain any liquid from the sliced eggplant, then pat dry before cooking.

Aubergines have the reputation of being tricky. Overcook them and they can turn to tasteless mush, undercook them and they can be rubbery and tough.

If the skin is smooth and unblemished you can leave it on. Older aubergines should be skinned however as the skin turns bitter. Use a peeler or sharp knife to remove the skin (as thinly as you can). Use the aubergine straight after peeling, otherwise the flesh will discolour.

What is the difference between ratatouille and caponata? ›

But, to me, ratatouille is more of a saucy stew, and the veggies will vary depending on what you have on hand. Caponata is more of a salad or an appetizer that is altogether savory, sweet, and sour, thanks to the use of briny olives, salty capers, sweet raisins, and a spike of vinegar.

Etymology. Italian, from Italian dialect (Sicily) capunata, sailor's dish of biscuit steeped in oil and vinegar, chopped vegetables served similarly, from Catalan caponada dry bread soaked in oil and vinegar, perhaps from capó capon.

As mentioned below, some eggplant caponata recipes include pine nuts or substitute them with golden raisins. You can use either or neither. If you want to add more vegetables, some good options include thinly sliced carrots, zucchini, or diced red bell peppers.

If the skin is smooth and unblemished you can leave it on. Older aubergines should be skinned however as the skin turns bitter. Use a peeler or sharp knife to remove the skin (as thinly as you can). Use the aubergine straight after peeling, otherwise the flesh will discolour.