Easy Baked Vegan Eggplant Parmesan Recipe - The Urben Life (2024)

FAQs

Should you sweat eggplant before making eggplant parmesan? ›

Another argument in favor of salting claims that it draws moisture out of the eggplant's cells that will, in turn, block the absorption of oil during cooking. But we know from experience that a salted eggplant still soaks up quite a bit of oil. So, in the end, we're with Clee on this one: don't sweat it.

The peel of an eggplant is completely edible. However, as the eggplant grows bigger and matures, the peel may become tough and bitter. People often prefer to peel larger eggplants because of this, but smaller eggplants do just fine unpeeled. It ends up being a matter of personal preference.

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 92% water.

Failure to remove some of this water will results in soggy Eggplant Parmesan.

It's always best to cook with fresh eggplants when possible, since older eggplants may have acquired some unpleasant notes as they've aged. If your eggplants have gotten bitter, sweating them can help draw out any dissonant notes, though salting them right before cooking may be just as good at taming their bitterness.

I tend to soak the slices in a bowl of water with a couple of tablespoon of salt for about 30-45 minutes. It doesn't have to do with bitterness, but I find that in doing this, the fried eggplant turns out less greasy," Jenkins says.

"When you lay them on the tray to roast, make sure they're in a single layer and give them enough room to roast properly. Eggplant is about 80 to 90 percent water, so when you put them in the oven they need space to evaporate all that water and caramelize properly," says Covarrubias.

The salt draws out the excess moisture so the eggplant has a stronger flavor and a softer, more tender texture. Sometimes cooks salt cucumbers, zucchini, and cabbage for the same reason. Less water = more flavor. This method works for cubes, slices, and planks of eggplant.

In addition, if the flesh of the eggplant is slimy, you'll want to throw it away.

Making Eggplant Parmesan Ahead of Time

With that said, you can layer and assemble the eggplant parmesan in the baking dish, cover it, and refrigerate it overnight. From there, bake it as the recipe instructs, but you may need to add 10-15 minutes to the overall cook time.

Do you need to salt eggplant before making eggplant parmesan? ›

Modern eggplant has had bitterness nearly bred out of it, so many cooks have given up the practice. Salting the slices for eggplant Parmesan is not to prevent bitter flavors, but to season the eggplant itself and, at least in my experience, keep the eggplant from sucking up too much of the olive oil from frying.

Eggplants can have the alkaloid solanine, which can give it a bitter taste. “Another compound possibly contributing to eggplant's bitterness is anthocyanin, which is a phytochemical that gives eggplant its pretty purple hue and can act like an antioxidant when we consume it,” says Nichole Dandrea-Russert, MS, RDN.

Layer the slices in a colander and place the colander in your sink. Set a heavy dish or pan over the top to weigh them down. Allow the eggplant to sweat for 30 to 45 minutes. Rinse the slices well with cold water to remove any excess salt and blot them dry with paper towels.

Modern eggplant has had bitterness nearly bred out of it, so many cooks have given up the practice. Salting the slices for eggplant Parmesan is not to prevent bitter flavors, but to season the eggplant itself and, at least in my experience, keep the eggplant from sucking up too much of the olive oil from frying.

Generously sprinkle them with salt, making sure to coat both sides of the rounds. Let the eggplant sit for at least 15 minutes and up to 30 minutes until it begins to "sweat" and drops of moisture appear. Transfer the eggplant slices to a clean towel and pat them dry. In the meantime, set up the breading station.

However, if you can't get your head around cooking eggplant without salting it, here's how: sprinkle the cubed eggplant with 1 tsp salt, toss, leave in colander for 30 minutes. Rinse then thoroughly pat dry, toss with oil and pepper (NO SALT), roast per recipe.