Eggplant???

[john3198]

Anybody ever try to smoke eggplant?

 

[meat hunter]

I have never done it, but if you like eggplant, I would think it would taste even better smoked.

I love butternut squash, and last week I smoked some for the first time.
It will be hard to eat it again without smoking it.....

smoking, it makes everything taste better...............

 

[etcher1]

If you like eggplant I bet it would be great. Unfortunately I don't like eggplant.

 

[alx]

If you brush the eggplant with peanut oil and smoke it a bit and then i broil my eggplant and add to ratatuille style dishes it is excellent...

I always cube it smoke it and broil and add to the dish....Not much smoke will penetrate the eggplant skin like a whole tatter....Normally i do not smoke,but just broil in cubes and add to a dish..wonderfull flavor.....When i smoke its just to use/not waste any of that smokey goodness...

I grow and eat alot of eggplant myself.Unfortunately 99% of folks have never had good grown,cooked eggplant and i understand the aversion....

Nothing like properly grown,cooked veggies....

 

[wutang]

I cut one in half, scooped out some of the center to make a "bowl" and filled it with shrimp, a couple kinds of cheese and some pasta sauce. Here is an old link with a few pics
http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/for...ad.php?t=72456

I didn't peel it, but probably would if I ever made this again.

 

[jirodriguez]

I imagine it would soak up the smoke real well! Cut it into thick 1/2" planks, rub with EVOO, and smoke away. Then you can add them to all kinds of dishes. Yummy!

 

[john3198]

Got some on tonight. Eggplant cut into 1/2" slices, EVOO and S&P, garlic, mushrooms and onions and some Yoshida bathed thighs. Will let you know how it comes out.

 

[john3198]

Most of this was smoked for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours over mainly apple with a little hickory.

Eggplant - interestng. Center was very tender, but skin and area near that was pretty chewey. Smoke was a bit overpowering. Next time I will peel then smoke much less - maybe 30 min or so.

Mushrooms - these were Criminni - baby portabellas - cut in half. Fantastic. They disappeared instantly.

Onions - these were red onions cut in 1/2" slices and separated into rings. Good flavor - but rings tended to be dry and chewey. Small rings that did not separate were great. Will keep slices whole next time, like I do when I grill them - skewering them with several toothpicks to hold together.

Garlic - very nice. Not as soft - mushy - as oven roasted, but nice flavor of sweet garlic and smoke. A keeper. On about 3 hours.

Chicken Thighs - great as usual. Basted 3 with Yoshida's and 3 with homemade BBQ sauce. Both were excellent. Apple was a very subtle smoke flavor. Might focus more in hickory or pecan next time.

 

[jirodriguez]

Looked great!

Eggplant is one of those ones that you want to let it cook nice and long. It is very fiberous so it takes a while to break it all down and make it tender. I would cook it longer next time, but maby foil tightly after the first hour so it doesn't take on to much smoke flavor.

If you do your onions and shrooms in a smaller deeper dish, then just stir it once an hour and they will all get nice and tender.

 

[john3198]

Thanks a bunch, JIR. Will do.

 

[smokeguy]

We eat eggplant every couple of weeks and just put Parmesan, salt and pepper on slices and cook in the oven. I took a half batch and smoked it once....and we'll continue to do them in the oven. I don't know how to describe the taste difference, but neither of us liked it as much as the non-smoked.

 

[mballi3011]

I haven't ever smoked it but I bet it would be really good too. Now I haven't really had many vegis smoked that I didn't like either.

 

[portlandsmoker]

smokedeggplant.jpg

• portlandsmoker
• Aug 1, 2015

I am smoking these eggplants that I got from the farmers/ market today. I will smoke them until they are soft throughout...then I will peel the flesh from the skins and will make babaganoush out of them by adding tahini, fresh lemon juice, garlic and a touch of cumin. I'll try to send a photo of the finshed product when it's done.