Poached Eggplant with Vinegar, Garlic, and Mint

Name: Poached Eggplant with Vinegar, Garlic, and Mint
Yield: serves 6 or more as a sidedish; 12 or more as an antipasto
Ingredients: 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; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 15 to 20 small fresh mint leaves, shredded; 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced; 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; 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

December 14, 2011

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.

Recipe notes

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