The grilled marinated eggplants are an easy and tasty recipe to serve as a side dish with meat and fish. I confess that I liked them so much that I used them to fill a sandwich. The preparation is very simple and quick. To remove the bitter taste from the eggplants, I recommend letting them purge by placing the eggplant slices in a colander with some coarse salt. This way, they will lose all their vegetative water and become sweeter and tastier. They are then grilled on a very hot pan and seasoned with oil, garlic, chili pepper, and vinegar. In my version, I added chives and used balsamic vinegar: less strong than regular vinegar and definitely more aromatic. A very simple recipe that you can also make in advance to serve as an appetizer on a special occasion. The eggplants prepared this way, thanks to the marinade, can last in the refrigerator for several days, and I’m sure you’ll like them too. Now, follow me to the kitchen because the grilled marinated eggplants will be ready in a click!
If you are interested in other eggplant recipes, also read:
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Very Cheap
- Rest time: 1 Hour
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 4 people
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Summer
- Energy 88.25 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 6.58 (g) of which sugars 4.07 (g)
- Proteins 1.03 (g)
- Fat 7.14 (g) of which saturated 1.03 (g)of which unsaturated 0.10 (g)
- Fibers 2.97 (g)
- Sodium 2.96 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 72 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 1 black oval eggplant
- 2 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 fresh chili pepper (spicy)
- chives (to taste)
Tools
- Pan
- Cutting Board
- Knife
- Bowl
- Colander
Steps
First, peel the eggplant, remove the stem, and slice it into slices about 0.16 or 0.20 inches thick. Then transfer the eggplants to a colander, add some coarse salt, and let them purge for half an hour. Meanwhile, prepare the marinade. Clean a garlic clove, remove the less digestible inner part, and finely chop it with a knife. Also chop the chili pepper and chives, and transfer everything to a bowl. Then add the oil and balsamic vinegar and mix.
Next, heat a non-stick pan: I used a grill pan. Then cook the eggplant slices for 2 or 3 minutes per side. Then distribute the grilled eggplants on a plate, add a few tablespoons of the marinade, and continue this way until all ingredients are used up.
Then place the grilled eggplants in the fridge for at least an hour and serve. Of course, you can also enjoy them right away, but the longer they stay in the fridge, the better they will absorb the marinade.
Variations and Tips
The marinated eggplants can be stored in the refrigerator in a container with a lid for 3 or 4 days. As an alternative to chives, you can use parsley or basil.
