Oven-Roasted Eggplant

I never realized how unique certain foods are. Eggplant being one of them. The color is absolutely beautiful, the skin on the outside perfectly shiny and smooth. I guess I was feeling a little artistic today but I was really intrigued by this vegetable. I myself would never buy an eggplant. The thought would never even cross my mind when grocery shopping. But I was home for the weekend and my mom happened to have one in the fridge. I had never cooked eggplant before, have only tried it maybe once. It was an anomaly to me. How exactly could you cook this beautiful, purple, object and would it actually taste good? I took a shot at it. 

Since I've never cooked eggplant before, I chose a very simple recipe. I wanted conquer the basics rather than risk trying something too complicated and messing it up. I chose a basic oven-roasted recipe that seemed simple to make.

The most confusing part of the experience was the eggplant itself. The texture of the inside was just as surprising to me as the outside. I followed the recipe, cutting diamond like slivers in the skin and sprinkling salt into the cuts. After baking the eggplant, I was surprised to see how it looked when cooked. It shriveled up into a considerably smaller shape and the outside skin turned a funny brown color. 

I was a little unsure of what I was about to put in my mouth when I finally tried it. It was interesting to say the least. I had to get familiar with the taste but ended up liking it. I won't say that it is my favorite vegetable, but I would be willing to try different variations of the recipe sometime in the future. 

2 lb. eggplant (about 2 globe or 4 Italian) 
Kosher salt 
2 to 3 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil 
8 fresh thyme sprigs ---> I didn't have these (therefore didn't use them)
Lemon wedges or a vinaigrette for serving (optional) 

Wipe the eggplant clean and slice them in half lengthwise. With the tip of a knife, score the flesh deeply in a diamond cross-hatch pattern by making two or three long cuts, cutting at a steep angle, and then rotating the eggplant to make another set of similar cuts. Press on the edges of the halves to open the cuts and sprinkle salt (1 to 1-1/2 tsp. total for all the halves) over the surface and into the cuts. Set aside, cut side up, for 30 min. Heat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment.

Over the sink, gently squeeze the eggplant to extract the salty juice and wipe them dry with a paper towel. Brush each half thoroughly with olive oil (about 1 tsp. per half for Italian eggplant, 2 tsp. per half for globe). Arrange each half, cut side down, on top of a sprig or two of thyme on the baking sheet. Roast for 1 hour. Let cool considerably before handling, at least 20 min. Gently turn the cut side up. If serving as a side dish, serve with a lemon wedge for squeezing or drizzle with vinaigrette. 

http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/oven_roasted_eggplant.aspx?nterms=52350,53084