The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook (120 page)
Read The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook Online
Authors: The Editors at America's Test Kitchen
Tags: #Cooking
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
Cooking eggplant can be challenging because it’s such a porous, watery vegetable. For eggplant with rich, meaty flavor, we turned to salting and pressing strips of eggplant. We let the salted eggplant sit in a colander for at least 1¹⁄
2
hours, and preferably 2 to 3, to allow the salt to do its job. Next, we firmly pressed the drained eggplant between sheets of paper towels to extrude more juice and compact the flesh. We found the vegetable always came out firmer, browner, and sweeter when cooked slowly rather than quickly.
SERVES 4 TO 6
You can substitute finely shredded basil for the parsley if desired.
2 | pounds eggplant, cut crosswise into ³⁄ |
Kosher salt and pepper | |
3 | tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil |
3 | garlic cloves, minced |
2–4 | tablespoons minced fresh parsley |
1.
Line baking sheet with triple layer of paper towels and set aside. Toss eggplant with 1 tablespoon salt in large bowl, transfer to colander, and let sit for at least 1¹⁄
2
hours, or up to 3 hours, stirring periodically.
2.
Wipe excess salt from eggplant. Lay eggplant strips about 1 inch apart on prepared baking sheet, then cover with another triple layer of paper towels. Using your palms, press each eggplant strip very firmly until it looks green and translucent and feels firm and leathery when pressed between fingertips. (Repeat pressing process on fresh towels if eggplant has not yet reached this stage.)
3.
Heat oil in 12-inch skillet until it shimmers and becomes fragrant. Add eggplant strips and cook until they begin to brown, about 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until eggplant is fully tender and lightly browned, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Off heat, stir in parsley, season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve.
TO MAKE AHEAD:
Eggplant can be prepared through step 2 and refrigerated for up to 3 hours.
Pulse 1 slice hearty white sandwich bread, torn into quarters, in food processor to coarse crumbs, about 10 pulses. Add bread crumbs with garlic in step 3 and toss lightly to coat strips. Turn heat to high and cook until crumbs begin to brown, about 1 minute. Toss and continue to cook until crumbs are fully browned, about 1 minute longer. Substitute finely shredded basil for parsley.
Any type of vinegar works in this recipe.
Combine 2 tablespoons dry sherry, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons vinegar, and 1 teaspoon sugar in small bowl; set aside. Substitute 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil and 1 tablespoon peanut or vegetable oil for olive oil. Increase garlic to 6 cloves and add 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger and ¹⁄
4
teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes with garlic in step 3. Cook 1 minute, add sherry mixture, and simmer until eggplant absorbs liquid, about 1 minute. Substitute 2 tablespoons minced cilantro plus 2 tablespoons thinly sliced scallions for parsley.
Stir in 1¹⁄
4
cups crushed tomatoes after garlic has cooked for 1 minute. Simmer until tomatoes thicken slightly, 2 to 3 minutes. Substitute ¹⁄
3
cup finely shredded fresh basil for parsley.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
This classic Sicilian dish, featuring a mix of sautéed vegetables (primarily tomatoes and eggplant) and accented with anchovies, capers, and pine nuts, can turn out greasy thanks to the spongy nature of eggplants, which causes them to soak up oil.. For a balanced and boldly flavored caponata with eggplant that didn’t turn to oil-soaked mush, we found that salting and microwaving the eggplant, rather than just salting and draining, was critical for drying it out sufficiently. Adding V8 juice, in addition to the tomatoes, gave our caponata a bright, fresh flavor, while brown sugar and red wine vinegar gave it the sweet and sour finish that distinguishes caponata from other vegetable dishes like ratatouille.
MAKES 3 CUPS
Serve caponata spooned over slices of toasted baguette or alongside grilled meat or fish. Adjust the vinegar as necessary, depending on the acidity of your tomatoes and what you are serving with the caponata. To allow the steam released by the eggplant to escape, remove the plate from the microwave immediately. Although the test kitchen prefers the complex flavor of V8 vegetable juice, tomato juice can be substituted. Caponata is best made a day in advance to allow the flavors to meld.
1¹⁄ | pounds eggplant, cut into ¹⁄ |
³⁄ | teaspoon kosher salt |
³⁄ | cup V8 juice |
¹⁄ | cup red wine vinegar, plus extra for seasoning |
¹⁄ | cup minced fresh parsley |
2 | tablespoons light brown sugar |
3 | anchovy fillets, rinsed and minced |
8 | ounces tomatoes, cored, seeded, and cut into ¹⁄ |
¹⁄ | cup raisins |
2 | tablespoons minced black olives |
1 | tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra 1 teaspoon if needed |
1 | celery rib, cut into ¹⁄ |
1 | small red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and cut into ¹⁄ |
1 | small onion, chopped fine |
¹⁄ | cup pine nuts, toasted |
1.
Toss eggplant and salt together in bowl. Line surface of large plate with double layer of coffee filters and lightly spray with vegetable oil spray. Spread eggplant in even layer over coffee filters. Microwave until eggplant is dry and shriveled to one-third its size but is not brown, 8 to 15 minutes. (If microwave has no turntable, rotate plate after 5 minutes.) Remove eggplant from microwave and immediately transfer to paper towel–lined plate.
2.
Meanwhile, whisk V8 juice, vinegar, parsley, brown sugar, and anchovies together in medium bowl. Stir in tomatoes, raisins, and olives.
3.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add eggplant and cook, stirring occasionally, until edges are browned, 4 to 8 minutes, adding up to 1 teaspoon oil if pan appears dry. Transfer to bowl and set aside.
4.
Add remaining 2 teaspoons oil to now-empty skillet and heat until shimmering. Add celery and red pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and edges are spotty brown, 2 to 4 minutes. Add onion and continue to cook until vegetables are browned, about 4 minutes longer.
5.
Reduce heat to medium-low and stir in eggplant and V8 juice mixture. Bring to simmer and cook until vegetable juice is thickened and coats vegetables, 4 to 7 minutes. Transfer to serving bowl and cool to room temperature. Taste and season with up to 1 teaspoon additional vinegar, if necessary. Sprinkle with pine nuts before serving. (Caponata can be refrigerated for up to 1 week.)
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
All too often, ratatouille can turn out flavorless, oily, and mushy. We were after a ratatouille that would bring together firm eggplant, zucchini, caramelized onions, garlic, herbs, and sweet, juicy tomatoes into a stewlike dish with maximum flavor and texture. To get the best out of each component, we handled each one carefully, salting and pressing the eggplant cubes to keep them from soaking up lots of oil, then roasting them in the oven with zucchini, which caramelized the flavors and allowed both vegetables to retain their shape. The garlic, onion, and tomatoes were at their best when sautéed together on the stovetop, and we waited to add the tomatoes until close to the end of cooking to ensure they didn’t turn to mush. Then we tossed the roasted vegetables and stirred in the chopped herbs at the very end to maintain their freshness.
SERVES 4 TO 6
For the best-flavored ratatouille, we recommend very ripe beefsteak tomatoes.
2¹⁄ | pounds eggplant, cut into 1-inch cubes |
Kosher salt and pepper | |
3 | zucchini, cut into 1-inch cubes |
¹⁄ | cup olive oil |
1 | large onion, chopped |
2 | garlic cloves, minced |
1 | pound tomatoes, cored, peeled,and cut into 2-inch cubes |
2 | tablespoons chopped fresh parsley |
2 | tablespoons chopped fresh basil |
1 | tablespoon minced fresh thyme |
1.
Line baking sheet with triple layer of paper towels and set aside. Toss eggplant and 1 tablespoon salt together in bowl, then transfer to colander. Let eggplant sit at least 1 hour or up to 3 hours. Wipe excess salt from eggplant, then arrange on prepared baking sheet. Cover with another triple layer of paper towels, then press firmly on eggplant until eggplant is dry and feels firm.
2.
Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 500 degrees. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with aluminum foil.
3.
Toss eggplant, zucchini, and 2 tablespoons oil together in large bowl, then divide evenly between prepared baking sheets, spreading in single layer on each. Season with salt to taste and roast, stirring every 10 minutes, until well-browned and tender, 30 to 40 minutes, rotating baking sheets from top to bottom halfway through roasting time. Set aside.
4.
Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook, stirring frequently, until softened and golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add tomatoes and cook until they release their juices and begin to break down, about 5 minutes. Add roasted eggplant and zucchini, stirring gently but thoroughly to combine, and cook until just heated through, about 5 minutes. Stir in parsley, basil, and thyme. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve. (Ratatouille can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.)