How do you prepare eggplant before cooking?

NacMac: How do you prepare eggplant before cooking?
I have heard that you need to slice it and put salt on it before cooking. Have you heard this? What do you do to eggplant before cooking it? Thanks for any suggestions.

Answers and Views:

Answer by latida
It really depends on how you’re cooking the eggplant. Eggplant really does not have a lot of flavor in it, so it absorbs whatever you cook it with. Eggplant is also very watery, so the salt helps draw out the moisture. Generally your eggplant is sliced or diced before its cooked. I’ve never ever heard of an eggplant being cooked whole. Ever. I’ve only used eggplant for eggplant parmesan, so I just slice the eggplant thin, press it between paper towels and salt them, dip them in egg etc….

Answer by Cathy
Yes, the reason for slicing and salting it is to get some of the moisture out of it or the breading won’t stick.

You slice it pretty thin (I remove the skin myself BTW), the you layer it and sprinkle salt lightly and then put it on a plate and put a plate on top and then put something heavy onto of the plate to “press” the eggplant. I dump off the liquid every couple of hours. I start this process in the a.m. and fry it in evening for dinner.

Good luck.

Answer by C.M. C
NacMac, there is two ways to do this, as explained above, slice, salt and put under weight. The other way, and I do this at times is to slice, and in a non stick pan dry fry.

By the way, no need to peel, that’s only a personal preference.

Answer by sally
i wash and slice it and salt it for about 15 min so it gets rid of bitterness, then i rinse and cook!