Roasted Eggplant

A roasted eggplant is fragrant and delicate, so no surprise that roasting is the first step in most of this week’s eggplant recipes. Large globe eggplants require from 20 to 25 minutes to cook, depending on how plump they are. Small narrow eggplants, such as Japanese eggplants, take about 15 minutes.

If you need for the eggplant to hold its shape, roast it for a shorter time, until you see the skin beginning to wrinkle.

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Cut the stem and calyx off the eggplant, and cut the body lengthwise in half. Score large eggplants down the middle with the tip of a knife, being careful not to cut through the skin. Japanese eggplants and other small eggplants need not be scored.

Cover a baking sheet with foil, and brush the foil with extra virgin olive oil. Place the eggplant on the foil, cut side down. Place in the oven and roast large, fat eggplants for 20 to 25 minutes, depending on the size; small, narrow Japanese eggplants (and other varieties) should be roasted for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven when skin has begun to shrivel, the edges and cut surface are browned, and the eggplant has softened but not collapsed. Remove from the oven, and use a spatula to detach from the foil if the eggplant is sticking. (If a thin surface of browned eggplant stays behind, don’t worry.) Place the eggplant halves cut side down on a rack set over a baking sheet, or in a colander. Allow to cool and drain for 15 to 30 minutes.

Advance preparation: You can roast eggplant several hours before you use it in a recipe.