Debating if you should salt eggplant before cooking or skip it entirely

So I was at my friend Maria's apartment last Tuesday and she insisted I don't salt my eggplant slices before frying them. She said it just draws out moisture and makes them soggy, but I've always done it to remove bitterness. Her final dish came out pretty good but mine always has that slight bitter edge if I skip the step. Anyone else run into this debate and settle on one method?

3 comments

3 Comments

mary_martin2216d ago

Totally feel you on this one. I've been burned before skipping the salting step and ended up with that bitter taste that ruins the whole meal. For me, the texture and flavor payoff from salting is worth the extra few minutes every time.

richard_anderson16d ago

I push back on skipping the salt step for eggplant every time this comes up. Modern eggplants aren't as bitter as they used to be, sure, but salting does more than just pull out bitterness (it also helps the eggplant not soak up a whole bottle of oil when you fry it). Maria's version might have turned out good but she probably used a lot more oil than she needed to, plus those bitter notes can sneak up on you if you're not paying attention. The key is salting, letting it sit for 20-30 minutes, then patting it dry really well before cooking. That way you get a nice texture without the soggy mess people worry about.

jesse_williams6212d ago

Man I feel like we need a support group for people who learned this lesson the hard way lol. I still have flashbacks to that one time I thought I knew better and ended up with a pan full of oily mush.