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Whole-Roasted Eggplant with Sauce from Its Own Juices

This dish celebrates the wonders of the eggplant in the vegetable kingdom.

Ingredients

  • 3 young eggplants (no wider than 2.5” in diameter) left whole
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 1 cup good olive oil
  • 1 tbsp kosher salt
  • Juice from 1 lemon
  • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • ½ clove garlic finely minced

Instructions

  • Set oven to 300F.
  • Take a cake tester or unwind a paper clip
  • Poke small holes through the skin of the eggplant until the tiny holes reach the center of the eggplant.
  • Coat the skins of the eggplant lightly with vegetable oil
  • Place them on a sheet of parchment paper on a sheet tray.
  • Bake the eggplant slowly for 2-2.5 hours
  • Gently rotating each eggplant every 20 minutes or so to encourage the eggplant to maintain its original shape while cooking through.
  • When the eggplants are done cooking and are completely tender, remove them from the oven.
  • Very carefully peel away the skins from each eggplant.
  • Salt the exterior of each eggplant and place the eggplants and any of their juices in a bowl.
  • Cover the bowl with plastic wrap to allow them to steam for an additional 10 minutes and absorb the salt.
  • To prepare the sauce, drain off and reserve the liquid from the eggplants.
  • Combine the egg yolks with the lemon juice, 1 tsp of salt, 1 tbsp Dijon mustard, and about 2 Tbsp of the eggplant liquid.
  • Whisk until all of the ingredients have combined thoroughly.
  • Slowly whisk in the olive oil until you have reached a thick consistency.
  • To thin out the sauce to final desired consistency, use the remaining eggplant cooking liquid.

Notes

The heat level can be augmented based on your desired spice level.