Many people love eggplant but dread the frying of it and don’t like all the oil the eggplant absorbs. I am a lifelong eggplant lover, but I do like to eat—and cook for my family—in a healthy way. So I like this preparation, which gives you all the good flavor of eggplant without the frying: you poach small eggplant wedges in water and red wine vinegar, then season and marinate them in fresh mint, garlic, and drizzles of olive oil. After an hour, the layers of bright flavor in each slice are developed and you have a delicious and versatile dish. The wedges are a treat by themselves and a fine complement to many other dishes; see below.

　　

Ingredients

serves 6 or more as a sidedish; 12 or more as an antipasto

　　

For Poaching

2 1/4 pounds small, firm eggplants (preferably 6 to 8 ounces each; see box, page 254)

　　2 cups red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar, or cider vinegar

　　

For Marinating

1/4 teaspoon salt

　　15 to 20 small fresh mint leaves, shredded

　　3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

　　3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

　　

Recommended Equipment

An 8-quart pot or saucepan for poaching

　　A flat baking sheet or platter for cooling the eggplant

　　A narrow oval or rectangular gratin or baking dish—about 6 by 10 inches—for marinating the eggplant in layers

　　

Prepping and Poaching the Eggplant

Step 1

Trim the stem and bottom (blossom) ends of the eggplants. Slice the eggplant in half lengthwise, then slice each half into wedges, about 1 1/2 inches wide on the outside (peel side). You should have thirty or more wedges.

　　

Step 2

Pour the vinegar and 10 cups water into the pot, cover, and heat quickly until boiling. Drop in all the eggplant slices, cover, and return the liquid to the boil rapidly, then set the cover ajar and adjust the heat so it’s at a moderate boil.

　　

Step 3

Push the eggplant under the surface frequently, shifting the pieces around a bit so they all poach evenly. After about 10 minutes, reduce the heat so the liquid is perking gently and won’t break up the softening wedges. Cook for a total of 15 to 20 minutes, until the flesh of the eggplant appears completely translucent—any opaque streaks means it is not cooked through. Don’t cook any longer than necessary; as soon as they are done, turn off the heat and carefully lift the wedges out of the liquid with a wide, perforated spatula or strainer—let the liquid drain off briefly—and lay them on the baking sheet. Spread the slices apart from each other in one layer and let them cool for a few minutes.

　　

Marinating the Eggplant

Step 4

Using a paring knife, cut out the stuck-together mass of seeds on each slice and discard, taking care not to tear the flesh; don’t worry if a few seeds are left.

　　

Step 5

As you seed them, lay a third of the wedges in the small gratin dish in one layer, and top them with the seasonings: sprinkle on a third of the salt and a third of the mint-leaf shreds, scatter a third of the garlic slices, and drizzle a third of the oil all over. Arrange and season two more layers of eggplant in the same way.

　　

Step 6

Marinate the eggplant for about an hour at room temperature before serving or using in a dish (though they’ll be tasty in 30 minutes if you need them sooner). See my serving suggestions below.

　　

Step 7

If you’re making this ahead for serving the next day, seal the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate; remove at least an hour before using so it comes to room temperature. To keep after the second day, remove the garlic slices from the dish, wrap, and refrigerate; use within a week.

　　

Variation: Poached fish fillets with poached eggplant wedges

Step 8

Marinated eggplant wedges are a great accompaniment to grilled and poached fish of all kinds, including sea bass, swordfish, cod, snapper, and grouper. And here’s a basic method to follow with all fish.

　　

Step 9

After you have poached the eggplant strain the vinegar water (removing eggplant seeds) into a wide sauté pan. Marinate the eggplant as in the main recipe for 1/2 hour or so, then reheat the vinegar water to a simmer, slide in up to four serving-size pieces of fish fillet, and poach for about 4 minutes.

　　

Step 10

Lift the fillets carefully out of the poaching liquid and lay them in a baking dish. Drizzle some of the juices from the marinated eggplant over the fish, then lay eggplant wedges on top. Serve immediately, or let the flavors marry for 30 minutes at room temperature or longer in the refrigerator. Lift portions of fish and eggplant together onto serving plates and drizzle with marinating liquid.

　　

Step 11

Poached shrimp are also delicious with eggplant—better than traditional shrimp cocktail. Proceed as above, except poach the shrimp in the vinegar water for 2 minutes. Cool before serving.

　　

Other Ways to Enjoy Poached Eggplant

Step 12

As an antipasto: as a crostini topping—chopped into small bits; with thin slices of prosciutto; with Tuna in Olio (page 10); with Marinated Mackerel (page 3); in Raw Tomato Sauce for Pasta (page 265)

　　

Step 13

In pasta: added to Raw Tomato Sauce (page 265)

　　

Step 14

As a marinade: on top of Poached Fish Fillets (above)

　　

Step 15

As an accompaniment: for grilled fish steaks (page 302); for grilled lamb chops

　　

Step 16

As a chutney: chopped up with fresh black figs; for anything grilled

　　From Lidia's Family table by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich Copyright (c) 2004 by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich Published by Knopf.Lidia Bastianich hosts the hugely popular PBS show, "Lidia's Italian-American kitchen" and owns restaurants in New York City, Kansas City, and Pittsburgh. Also the author of Lidia's Italian Table and Lidia's Italian-American Kitchen, she lives in Douglaston, New York. Jay Jacob's journalism has appeared in many national magazines.From the Trade Paperback edition.