Dry-Brining Eggplant

As we all have recently witnessed at our family gathering, dry-brining an eggplant makes a world of difference in the flavour of an eggplant (for the better!), and there has been some question as to how to do it. It’s simple, really:

  1. Cut the eggplant into four or eight large chunks. You can peel it if you like (I usually do, unless the recipe says not to).
  2. Put the chunks into a colander. Cover them completely with salt.
  3. Let them sit for half an hour. The salt will draw out all the bitterness into a brown liquid that comes out of the bottom of the colander. (I’m sure there’s a use for this eau d’aubergine, but I haven’t found one yet.)
  4. Rinse off all the salt, and prepare the eggplant as usual (pan-fry, grill, bake, etc.)

Such a simple modification, but so worth it.