Grilled eggplant
Eggplant (also called brinjal, aubergine, baingan, melanzana and bademjan in some of the countries where it’s eaten) is one of my favorite vegetables to barbecue because it is so perfectly suited to the grill. It is a sturdy vegetable that holds up beautifully to the rigorous heat. Better, that heat causes the flesh of the eggplant to cook up wonderfully tender and soft and sweet. The eggplant slices soak up any flavors you add to it — and the wonderful smoky flavors from the grill — like a sponge.
I have a simple trick for you that will make sure the eggplant is not bitter at all: brine. Just soak the eggplant in it for about 30 minutes before you grill it, which will draw out any bitterness. Then dip it in the infused basil oil, which I shared with you recently, or in any mix of oil and herbs of your choice, before throwing it on the grill for the yummiest eggplant, or grilled food, you ever ate.
