A Chef Explains How To Avoid Soggy Eggplant

Eggplant can be difficult to work with, especially if you are hoping to make restaurant-style eggplant parmesan that is crispy on the outside and tender, creamy, and delicious on the inside. The biggest challenge of this dish or almost any recipe that utilizes this purple-skinned ingredient is keeping it from turning into a soggy mess. But Daily Meal caught up with Quentin Garcia, Executive Chef at Thompson Palm Springs who shared that the secret to this elongated, teardrop-shaped food is all about the salt. Garcia explained, "...the reason to use salt on your eggplant before cooking is to draw out as much moisture from the interior as possible before you begin your cooking process."  

Salting is crucial because eggplant is 90% water, and doing so allows it to sweat out all that liquid. That said, an eggplant also likes to soak up other liquids. Garcia went on to say, "Eggplant is like a sponge, cooking it with excess oil or liquid is going to force it to become soggy." File this info under things you didn't know about eggplant. So, if you forget to salt your eggplant and then fry or add moisture-rich ingredients, you are in for a very saturated end product. 

But there is an added benefit to salting your eggplant. While Quentin Garcia noted that the bitterness that has been often associated with it has been bred out, salting it does more than just draw out the moisture. He said, "It forces a concentrated flavor and allows the vegetable itself to absorb more of the flavor you want to impart." To salt either cut side of the eggplant, plan on using between one and two teaspoons of kosher salt for each eggplant. This could end up being a little more or a little less depending on the size of the eggplant, but be prepared to be generous.

What way does the chef like to prepare his eggplant? Garcia told us, "I like to draw out the moisture and roast it over high heat. This will always allow me to maintain its structural integrity." This is a great tip, especially if you are making an easy baba ganoush recipe. Roasting will caramelize this fruit and concentrate its taste, making whatever dish you're creating even more flavorful.