Eggplant cutlet in the style of strip steak

[Robin Garr]

Eggplant "steak," a thick lengthwise cutlet, pan-seared and oven-finished, mushroom demi.

eggplantshroom.jpg

Yum!

That looks and sounds delicious!

-Paul W.

Looked great, showed it to my wife. We almost did it as a main last night, but did it as a side (though she did mushrooms in a red wine sauce vs using demi-glace). Great idea, with lots of possibilities for variants.

Man, that mushroom topper looks to die for.

Do you do any special prep to the eggplant for dishes like this? I make eggplant in this style quite often, but first score and salt the slabs and let drain for about an hour, then press between towels for another 15 - 30 min. You have to cut the slices about 50% thicker than you want the end product to be to compensate, but it results in a denser veg that sautes and bakes much better (it doesn't steam initially from its own juices leaking out). My wife loves eggplant, so I've had a lot of practice doing it this way

[Robin Garr]

Do you do any special prep to the eggplant for dishes like this? I make eggplant in this style quite often, but first score and salt the slabs and let drain for about an hour, then press between towels for another 15 - 30 min. You have to cut the slices about 50% thicker than you want the end product to be to compensate, but it results in a denser veg that sautes and bakes much better (it doesn't steam initially from its own juices leaking out). My wife loves eggplant, so I've had a lot of practice doing it this way

Tom, to be honest, I just cut them thick, sprinkle on a little kosher salt (to flavor, not to "draw out the bitterness," and drizzle olive oil on them. Then just treat exactly as I would a strip steak in a standard pan-sear in a red-hot iron skillet followed by a 10-minute stay in a hot oven.

I might try your way and see if it's even more awesome, but frankly, I'm so happy with this that if I were to add on that much additional prep, I'd want to see a major notch kickup.

Tom, to be honest, I just cut them thick, sprinkle on a little kosher salt (to flavor, not to "draw out the bitterness," and drizzle olive oil on them. Then just treat exactly as I would a strip steak in a standard pan-sear in a red-hot iron skillet followed by a 10-minute stay in a hot oven. I might try your way and see if it's even more awesome, but frankly, I'm so happy with this that if I were to add on that much additional prep, I'd want to see a major notch kickup.

Yeah, y'know, if your way works fine, don't change. A 10% improvement in return for 63% more effort is only worth it if you're a true eggplant pedant, or insane. (I made those numbers up on the spot, by the way, but I stand by them). And truth be told, I've sometimes been pressed for time and just cut them and threw 'em on the heat, and they cooked up great just like yours. Still, I like feeling superior when I tell all my friends I went to that much trouble, so I try to make the effort most of the time.

About the only dish I think I would insist this sort of time consuming prep is absolutely necessary is when I make eggplant lasagne, substituting eggplant "noodles" for the pasta. If I don't desiccate them first they dissolve into mush in the final product. And actually, come to think of it now I'd say the same about some eggplant tarts I've made, and also breaded and fried slices. You can get pretty good results without drawing out that moisture in those, but the difference between them and denser, dryer slices is worth the extra steps to me. (Well...it to my wife. Which, she says, is the same thing.)