What is the French stew with eggplant?
Ratatouille is a French Provençal dish of stewed vegetables that was popularised in Nice and is some En savoir plus
What happens if you don't salt eggplant?
Alexandria Laroche
2025-11-19 03:08:37
Nombre de réponses
: 16
If you don't salt eggplant, it may retain its bitterness, although some experts argue that salting changes our perception of the flavor rather than the eggplant's actual taste. Not salting eggplant may also affect its texture when frying, as it could absorb more oil and become chewier. However, some recipes and cooking methods, such as roasting or microwaving, may not require salting. The need to salt eggplant depends on factors like the eggplant's age, size, and intended use, as well as personal preference regarding texture and flavor. If you're using a young, firm eggplant and don't mind a potentially chewier texture, you can skip salting. On the other hand, if you're working with an old, soft eggplant or aiming for a silky texture in fried dishes, salting is recommended.
Adélaïde Weber
2025-11-12 04:57:09
Nombre de réponses
: 26
If you don't salt eggplant, it won't necessarily make or break your recipe. Recipes call for salting eggplant to reduce bitterness, specifically in older and overripe eggplants. However, sprinkling eggplant with salt before cooking doesn’t reduce bitterness as much as you might think. Pre-salting eggplant does have another purpose: It is an effective way to draw out excess moisture. Without pre-salting, eggplant can absorb too much fat and turn soggy when cooking. Not salting eggplant is more obsolete for baking and roasting recipes, as the eggplant will eventually break down and become creamy with a long cooking time. If you have a quick cook time, it would probably be beneficial to salt to get a better texture on the end product.
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Why do you soak eggplant in water before cooking?
Eggplant has a high water content, over 90 percent, salting reduces the overall sponginess—thanks to En savoir plus
Thibaut Barbe
2025-11-08 05:54:05
Nombre de réponses
: 14
If you don't salt eggplant, it will not make a difference in most cases, except when frying.
In those cases where you want the eggplant to retain its shape and have a slightly firmer texture — such as ratatouille — you can skip it.
So, should you always salt eggplant before frying?
Not necessarily; it depends on what you’re looking for in the finished dish.
Though salting works when you want the eggplant to be creamy and tender — such as with parmigiana.
The unsalted fried eggplant was firmer and slightly fibrous.
Despite some claims to the contrary, there was no difference in the amount of oil absorbed between salted and not-salted.
Eggplant absorbs a LOT of oil either way.
The predominant one is that it draws off bitter juices, improving the flavor.
In fact, bitterness in eggplant comes either from the variety or from being over-mature.
Frédérique Louis
2025-10-28 13:22:25
Nombre de réponses
: 16
If you don't salt eggplant, it may not necessarily turn out bitter.
Sara Jenkins, a chef and owner of Porsena in New York City, believes salting is unnecessary because most eggplants are bred not to have that kind of bitterness.
The only exception is when you deep fry it, as salting it first can help make it less greasy.
Jenkins soaks the slices in a bowl of water with a couple of tablespoons of salt for about 30-45 minutes before frying.
She just cuts up the eggplant, tosses the pieces with olive oil, and starts cooking if she's not frying it.
She has rarely found an eggplant that is so bitter that it needs salting.
The claim that eggplant needs to be salted to remove bitterness is reminiscent of a time when eggplants were more bitter.
Today, eggplants are bred to have less bitterness, making salting unnecessary in most cases.
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