With their delicate flavor, tender skin and paucity of seeds, Japanese eggplants are a fine substitute for the more common and larger eggplant found in local grocery stores.
Pickled Eggplant
No vinegar is needed to “pickle” this versatile vegetable—just a little spice and a good olive oil.
Yield: makes 4-6
Ingredients
- 4-6 small Japanese eggplants
- 2 tsp. salt
- 1 tbsp. ground walnuts
- 1⁄2 tsp. cayenne
- Olive oil to cover
Instructions
- Poach eggplants in gently boiling water for 5-10 minutes or until slightly soft. Slit each eggplant from blossom end almost to stem end twice, so that eggplant splays into four “fingers” attached to stem end.
- Mix salt, walnuts, and cayenne in food processor into a smooth paste. Rub paste on exposed eggplant flesh, reassemble the eggplants, and place in a tall jar, stem ends upward, for 12 hours.
- Discard brine at bottom of jar. Fill jar with oil, covering eggplants completely. A ball of foil on top of eggplants will keep them submerged.
- Close jars, and pickle for 10-14 days. Refrigerated, they will keep for 2 weeks.
