The New Complete Book of Food
cuisine, specifically dishes ala parmigiana and spaghetti sauces. However, in cooking, the egg-
plant absorbs very large amounts of oil. To keep eggplant parmigiana low in fat, use non-fat
cheese and ration the olive oil.Diets That May Restrict or Exclude This Food
* * *Buying This Food
Look for: Firm, purple to purple-black or umblemished white eggplants that are heavy for
their size.
Avoid: Withered, soft, bruised, or damaged eggplants. Withered eggplants will be bitter;
damaged ones will be dark inside.Storing This Food
Handle eggplants carefully. If you bruise an eggplant, its damaged cells will release polyphe-
noloxidase, an enzyme that hastens the oxidation of phenols in the eggplant’s flesh, produc-
ing brown compounds that darken the vegetable.
Refrigerate fresh eggplant to keep it from losing moisture and wilting.Preparing This Food
Do not slice or peel an eggplant until you are ready to use it, since the polyphenoloxidase in the
eggplant will begin to convert phenols to brown compounds as soon as you tear the vegetable’s
cells. You can slow this chemical reaction (but not stop it completely) by soaking sliced egg-
plant in ice water—which will reduce the eggplant’s already slim supply of water-soluble vita-
min C and B vitamins—or by painting the slices with a solution of lemon juice or vinegar.
To remove the liquid that can make a cooked eggplant taste bitter, slice the eggplant,
salt the slices, pile them on a plate, and put a second plate on top to weight the slices down.
Discard the liquid that results.What Happens When You Cook This Food
A fresh eggplant’s cells are full of air that escapes when you heat the vegetable. If you cook
an eggplant with oil, the empty cells will soak it up. Eventually, however, the cell walls
will collapse and the oil will leak out, which is why eggplant parmigiana often seems to be
served in a pool of olive oil.
Eggplant should never be cooked in an aluminum pot, which will discolor the eggplant.
If you cook the eggplant in its skin, adding lemon juice or vinegar to the dish will turn the