Torta is “omelet” and talong is “eggplant,” but this is more like an egg-battered cutlet eaten for breakfast or lunch. The eggplants are heavily charred before they’re battered with egg and panfried, making them smoky and creamy. Sometimes, ground pork or beef is added to the egg, but we often use crab (though that’s optional, too). You can serve tortang talong as a vegetable side as part of a bigger meal, or on its own with a bowl of rice alongside and some fish sauce on top. You can also make this dish if you have any leftover grilled eggplant; it would work perfectly.

　　

Ingredients

2–4 servings

　　2 large Asian eggplants (about 1/3 pound/155 g each)

　　2 extra-large eggs

　　Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

　　3 tablespoons vegetable oil

　　2 tablespoons picked cooked crabmeat (optional)

　　Fish sauce, for serving

　　

Step 1

Preheat the broiler.

　　

Step 2

Lay the eggplants in a single layer on a baking sheet and broil them, flipping once or twice, until they are soft and blackened on all sides, about 15 minutes. (If you have a gas stove, you can do this by holding the eggplants with tongs over a burner on medium-high heat, turning them so they blacken on all sides.)

　　

Step 3

Place the softened eggplants in a ziplock bag. Set aside for 10 minutes to steam (this makes the skin easier to peel). Peel the eggplants, discarding the skins, and use a fork to gently flatten the flesh.

　　

Step 4

Put the eggs in a shallow bowl. Beat well and season with salt and pepper.

　　

Step 5

In a large skillet, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat. Dip each eggplant in the beaten eggs, letting it soak for a second or two so that it is well covered with the egg. Season the egg-dipped eggplant with additional salt and pepper and place it in the skillet. Repeat with the other eggplant, making sure there’s room between them in the skillet. Place 1 tablespoon of the crab (if using) on top of each eggplant, pressing it down with a fork.

　　

Step 6

When the eggplants are crispy and browned on one side, 4 to 5 minutes, flip them over and cook until browned and crispy on the second side, about 3 minutes more. Transfer the eggplants to a paper towel–lined plate to drain.

　　

Step 7

Serve hot or at room temperature, with fish sauce.

　　Excerpted from I Am a Filipino: And This Is How We Cook by Nicole Ponseca and Miguel Trinidad (Artisan Books). Copyright © 2018.Buy the full book from Amazon.