All Eggplant, All the Time

When Bulent Basol, president of the Assembly of Turkish American Associations, called to invite me to a Turkish meal of eggplant, I thought he was kidding.

He sensed my hesitation. “ All eggplant,” he said.

Another pause. “Really.”

Then Basol, whom I had met at yet another Turkish food function some years back, explained what he meant.

“Eggplant plays an important role in Turkish cuisine,” he said. “They say Turks have more than 100 ways of preparing eggplant. We want to show you some of the ways. It will give you an idea of how versatile eggplant can be, while introducing a very healthful food that is not terribly well known.”

Aubergine , the French word for eggplant used almost universally in the food world, is indeed a healthful and beautiful vegetable with a purple color so subtle and exquisite as to inspire fashion designers from season to season. It has a history so glamorous, and cuisine so appealing--if you know how to use eggplant--it does give one pause.

Naturally, I accepted the invitation.

Eggplant is actually the fruit of a plant that originated in India and traveled East to Asia and West through the trade routes of the Middle East before making it to France in the beginning of the 17th Century. In Asia, eggplant is an important and popular crop, with China leading in production, followed by Japan, where slim, elongated varieties are preferred. Locally, eggplant is popular, but through much of the United States, it is still considered a specialty item, with the bulk of the crop coming from Florida, Mexico and California. Today, many varieties, from the large bulbous fruit to the tiny egg-size white eggplant and the long, thin, small eggplant, are available almost year round. Overall production is growing steadily, but in small increments. For instance, it’s a fraction of the production of squash in the United States.

Eggplant will probably never become as popular in the U.S as it is in Asia or Turkey, but interest is growing. “As people understand that eating fresh fruits and vegetables promotes good health and fights cancer and heart disease,” says Barbara Buck, chief executive officer of the Fresh Produce Council of California, “they will be looking for more ways to use exotic vegetables such as eggplant.” Nutritionally, eggplant is extremely low in fat and calories (about 20 calories per 100-gram serving), and contains some protein, vitamins (A and B) and minerals (calcium and iron). Because of its meaty pulp, eggplant has long been used in main dishes, such as casseroles ( moussaka , for instance), stews and vegetarian meals.

It is said that when Empress Eugenie, wife of Napoleon III, was in Istanbul as guest of Sultan Abdulaziz, the Ottoman emperor, she became intrigued with a puree of eggplant that had been the specialty of the Topkapi Palace, home of sultans and harems for several centuries. She asked her host if he would allow his chef to teach her cook how to prepare it, and the sultan obliged.

But the French chef was given no measurements and asked to be relieved from the duty of making a dish that was cooked by “eye and nose.” The empress returned to France without the recipe. Back at the palace, however, the dish was renamed in her honor. To this day, eggplant puree, a dish served as an accompaniment to stews and roast chicken, is called hunkar begendi , meaning “the sultan approved it.”

No cuisine makes more glamorous use of eggplant than the Turkish. In the hands of Turkish cooks, eggplant takes on numerous guises, whether stuffed with rice and meat, laced with sauces, or combined with other vegetables in perfect flavor integration.

So I sat with Dr. Oguz Celikkol, the consul general of Turkey in Los Angeles, and Basol and his wife, Sema, sampling a parade of eggplant dishes from appetizer to salad.

“You realize, of course, that in Turkey, as elsewhere in the world, the most famous cooks have traditionally been men,” said the consul with a teasing smile. But the consular household has a woman chef who prepared the dishes and emerged only long enough to set a plate on the table and serve the last beverage of the meal--a thick brew of Turkish coffee.

According to Sema Basol, who helped translate the cook’s tips, frying the eggplant, even when it us used as a stew, helps impart extra flavor often lacking in boiled or baked eggplant. “Olive oil, particularly, gives eggplant a delicious flavor,” said Basol. Another important tip: Soak eggplant halves or slices in salted water for 30 minutes to leach out bitter flavors before frying. “Most people object to the rather bitter taste of eggplant if not properly leached,” she said.

Freezing eggplant, while possible, is not recommended, according to Basol. “Turkish cooking doesn’t lend itself to freezing or prolonged refrigeration. We like our foods to be eaten freshly cooked. Standing in the freezer or the refrigerator will cause flavors and texture to deteriorate.”

One of the first dishes to arrive was an appetizer known as patlican salatasi (eggplant salad), which requires mashing of the eggplant pulp. Pureeing is easily achieved by baking the large eggplant in the oven to soften the flesh. The eggplant is peeled and flesh mashed as you would potatoes. Small eggplant, such as the elongated, slim eggplant or small novelty egg-size eggplant, can be scorched over flame until soft enough to mash. Eggplant puree, which becomes a beautiful cream-white color when mashed, can be dressed as you would any salad with lemon juice or vinegar and oil. The puree can also be combined with cheese and cream to serve plain ( begendi ) or baked as for a gratin (also called gratin in Turkey).

Patlicanli kebab is not what we usually think of as kebab, but eggplant made into a stew with pieces of lamb and eggplant. (Of course, eggplant can be made into kebab--cut into large cubes, threaded on skewers and cooked on the barbecue grill.) For a stew, eggplant is added to the meat and cooked until the meat and vegetable juices mingle. The dish is usually served over plain or tomato-flavored rice.

Moussaka, another famous dish found throughout the regions around Turkey and Greece, is simply a casserole layered, lasagne-fashion, using ground meat and slices of eggplant in lieu of pasta. The eggplant slices are best fried for extra flavor before being added to the casserole. Moussaka is a popular main dish/buffet dish that’s also budget-conscious.

Because of its shape, eggplant lends itself easily to stuffing with rice and ground meat, or with vegetables for a vegetarian meal. Its meaty pulp makes a perfect boat or cavity for a filling meal. The consul’s table included eggplant stuffed with rice and meat, called zeytinyagli patlican dolmasi , as well as tiny patties of eggplant fried in olive oil.

EGGPLANT KEBAB

(Patlicanli Kebab)

6 tablespoons butter

1 1/2 pounds boneless, lean lamb, veal or beef, cut into 1-inch cubes

2 medium onions, chopped

3 medium tomatoes

Salt, pepper

2 medium eggplants

2 green peppers, seeded and cut into 1/4-inch rings

Tomato Pilav

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in saucepan. Add meat and onions and saute until meat is browned, about 10 minutes. Dice 2 tomatoes and add to meat mixture. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook over low heat until meat is tender, about 40 to 50 minutes.

Meanwhile, cut stems off eggplant. Peel off 1/2-inch-wide strip of eggplant skin lengthwise, at 1-inch intervals, creating striped effect. Cut eggplants crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick round slices. Place slices in deep pan and sprinkle generously with salt. Fill pan with cold water. Let stand 30 minutes to leach out bitterness of eggplant. Rinse eggplant slices with cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Set aside.

Melt 3 tablespoons butter in skillet. Add eggplant slices, few at time (do not crowd pan), and fry until lightly browned on both sides. Continue to add more butter and fry eggplant until all eggplant slices are used. Place 1 layer of eggplant slices in bottom of large skillet. Spread meat mixture on top. Slice remaining tomato. Garnish meat mixture with tomato slices and green pepper rings. Cover and cook over medium heat 20 to 25 minutes. Serve with Tomato Pilav. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Each of 6 servings, including Pilav, contains about:

528 calories; 361 mg sodium; 107 mg cholesterol; 25 grams fat; 54 grams carbohydrates; 22 grams protein; 1.36 grams fiber.

Tomato Pilav

2 cups rice

Salt

4 cups water

Pepper

2 ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and mashed

1/4 cup butter

Cook rice in boiling salted water until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed. Drain if necessary.

Season to taste with salt and pepper. Saute tomato in butter until slightly cooked, about 5 minutes. Mix into rice. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

EGGPLANT PUREE

(Hunkar Begendi)

Juice 1 lemon

Salt

5 cups cold water

6 medium eggplants

1/4 cup unsalted butter

2 tablespoons flour

1 cup warm milk

1/2 cup shredded Gruyere or Cheddar cheese

Parsley sprigs

Mix lemon juice and 1 teaspoon salt with cold water in bowl. Set aside.

Insert knife into whole eggplants about 1 inch deep at several places. Place directly over high flame and turn often to brown and blister skin evenly. Skin will turn black. If electric range is used, place eggplant directly over heating unit. Eggplant is done when skin is black and blistered and pulp is soft. Remove scorched skin from eggplant while still warm. Remove seeds and drop eggplants into bowl of cold water.

Melt butter in saucepan. Add flour and saute over medium heat, stirring constantly until flour turns light-golden in color, about 5 minutes. Add warm milk and continue stirring until mixture is smooth.

Squeeze all water out of eggplants and chop. Add to milk mixture. Add cheese and season to taste with salt. Mash with potato masher until smooth.

Saute over medium low heat until bubbly, about 10 minutes.

Serve hot as side dish or as accompaniment to roast or stewed meat or chicken. Garnish with parsley. Makes 6 servings.

Each serving contains about:

154 calories; 442 mg sodium; 31 mg cholesterol; 11 grams fat; 11 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams protein; 1.04 grams fiber.

Variation:

Place Eggplant Puree in buttered 8-inch baking dish. Sprinkle evenly with 1/2 cup fine dry bread crumbs and drizzle with 2 tablespoons melted butter. Bake at 375 degrees 15 to 20 minutes or until browned, or place under broiler to brown top.

EGGPLANT BOATS

(Imam Bayildi)

8 Japanese eggplants

1/2 cup olive oil

4 onions, thinly sliced

3 tomatoes

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 bunch parsley, stems removed and chopped

1 teaspoon sugar

Salt

3/4 cup water

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Without removing stalks of eggplants, peel strips of eggplant skin 1 inch apart, creating striped effect. Heat oil in skillet. Add whole eggplants and fry until skins are golden-brown. Remove and set aside.

Drain all but 2 tablespoons oil from skillet. Add onions and cook until tender but not browned. Dice 2 tomatoes and add to skillet with garlic, parsley and sugar. Season to taste with salt. Saute 3 minutes.

Arrange eggplants in large, shallow baking pan. Make lengthwise incision with spoon or knife and press sides away to form cavity. Fill with onion mixture. Slice remaining tomato and place 1 slice over each eggplant boat. Season to taste with salt. Add water. Bake at 350 degrees 40 to 50 minutes until most of liquid has been absorbed. Cool. Sprinkle with lemon juice. Makes 8 servings.

Each serving contains about:

143 calories; 48 mg sodium; trace cholesterol; 10 grams fat; 12 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams protein; 1.19 grams fiber.

FRIED EGGPLANT

Japanese eggplants

Flour

Oil

Yogurt

Dill or mint, chopped, optional

Cut eggplants into 1/4-inch slices. Dredge with flour. Deep-fry in hot oil until golden. Do not overcook. Fan slices on platter and top with yogurt. Sprinkle with chopped dill to taste.

TURKISH MUSAKKA

4 to 5 eggplants

Salt

Water

1 1/2 cups olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

1 onion, chopped

1/2 pound lean ground beef or lamb

3 to 4 green peppers, diced

3 tomatoes

Black pepper

1/2 bunch parsley, chopped

Cut slice from each end of eggplants. Peel lengthwise strips of peel 1 inch apart to create striped effect. Cut eggplants crosswise into 1/2-inch slices. Sprinkle with salt and cover with water. Let stand 30 minutes to leach out bitterness of eggplant. Rinse eggplant slices and pat dry with paper towels.

Heat oil in saucepan. Add eggplant slices and fry until golden-brown. Do not overcook. Drain on paper towels. Continue to cook eggplant slices until all are used.

In separate skillet melt butter. Add onion and ground meat and saute until meat is browned, about 5 minutes. Add peppers and saute 2 to 3 minutes. Peel and dice 2 tomatoes and add to skillet. Add 1/2 cup water. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Saute 3 minutes.

Arrange half of fried eggplant slices in large skillet. Spread meat mixture over eggplant layer. Arrange remaining eggplant slices over meat mixture. Slice remaining tomato and arrange slices over eggplant layer. Sprinkle with chopped parsley. Add 1 cup hot water. Cover and cook over medium-low heat 30 minutes or until eggplant is tender. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Each of 6 servings contains about:

380 calories; 102 mg sodium; 26 mg cholesterol; 35 grams fat; 11 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams protein; 1.45 grams fiber.

EGGPLANT SALAD

4 large eggplants

5 tablespoons lemon juice

1/3 cup olive or vegetable oil

Salt

1 tablespoon vinegar

6 black olives

1 small onion, cut in half lengthwise, then sliced

1 green pepper, sliced and seeded

1 small tomato, sliced

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

Insert knife into eggplants about 1 inch deep at several places. Place directly over high heat and turn often to brown evenly. Skin will burn and turn black. If stove is used, place eggplant directly on heating unit and cook to blister skin, turning often. Eggplant is done when skin is blistered and pulp is soft.

Place lemon juice in bowl. When eggplants are soft, remove blistered skin while still warm. Scrape out seeds and drop eggplants into lemon juice, turning to coat with juice. Add oil, salt to taste and vinegar. Mash with potato masher into smooth paste. Place paste on platter. Decorate with olives, onion, green pepper and tomato slices. Sprinkle with parsley. Makes 6 servings.

Each serving contains about:

148 calories; 179 mg sodium; trace cholesterol; 13 grams fat; 8 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram protein; 0.97 gram fiber.

* Food Styling by Donna Deane and Staci Miller