Grilled eggplants in oil are a very tasty appetizer or side dish rich in Mediterranean flavors, perfect to accompany main courses or to enjoy as a snack during an aperitif.
This simple, widely-used and tested traditional recipe allows us to transform the eggplants into a real dish to preserve, ideal for enriching our winter supplies with the taste of summer.
The eggplants, grilled and then preserved in extra virgin olive oil, are flavored with aromas such as garlic and chili pepper, for a tasty and fragrant result.
Making grilled eggplants in oil at home is very easy. We will enhance one of our most beloved products and ensure ourselves sides or appetizers to preserve for a while. I stock up every year and repeat the recipe for my weekly meal-preps.
Find out how to prepare and preserve them in a few steps.
TRY ALSO:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Cheap
- Rest time: 30 Minutes
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 2 People
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Summer, Autumn, Winter, and Spring
Ingredients for Grilled Eggplants in Oil
- 1.1 lbs eggplants (long)
- 7 oz extra virgin olive oil
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 pinches salt
- 1 chili pepper
Tools for Grilled Eggplants in Oil
- 1 Grill grill pan
- 1 Container airtight container
- 1 Knife kitchen knife
- 1 Vacuum Sealer vacuum sealer
- 1 Lid vacuum container
***Check out my review of the Tognana Avantspace D2DMS01AVSP food vacuum machine Tognana Avantspace D2DMS01AVSP***
Steps to Make Grilled Eggplants in Oil
Start by thoroughly rinsing the eggplants. Slice them fairly thin with a knife. If you prefer, you can also use a mandoline, although I prefer them a bit thicker.
Leave the eggplant slices on a plate, sprinkle them with salt, and cover with another plate. This way they will be less bitter and will lose their vegetation liquid.
After about 30 minutes, pat them dry with an absorbent cloth and turn on the heat under the griddle.
Heat it well and place the eggplant slices well spaced apart. Cook them on both sides until they are no longer transparent and seem well cooked and dry. Cook them all and set them aside on a plate.
At this point, take our clean glass container and place a first layer of grilled eggplants at the bottom. Drizzle them with extra virgin olive oil and add a pinch of salt and a couple of pieces of chili pepper. Continue to create layers in the same way until all ingredients are used.
At this point, much depends on how long we intend to keep the eggplant preserve:
– If we want to keep them for a few days, it will suffice to close the container hermetically and store it in the fridge.
– If we want to keep them for a few more days, we need to ensure the eggplants are well covered with oil until they are well submerged, then close the container.
– And if we want to preserve the eggplants for more than a month, we must first sterilize the container and then vacuum seal it. I have a special container with a valve that allows me, once filled, to completely vacuum out the air. This way, we can store it in a dark and dry place (find everything on the tools list).
Tips and Notes
I always recommend waiting at least a few hours before consuming the eggplants, to give the flavors time to blend and settle well.
Remember to top up with extra virgin olive oil in case it decreases as the eggplants are taken from the container
