Eggplant

Buy eggplants that feel heavy for their size with tight, glossy skin. Dull skin and soft spots mean it's old, and old eggplant is where the bitterness lives. Smaller is better: fewer seeds, thinner skin, sweeter flesh. If your store carries Japanese or Chinese eggplant, grab those for stovetop cooking - they're sweeter and cook faster; save globes for roasting and grilling. Skip the fridge if you'll cook it within 2 days (cold makes the flesh pit and brown); otherwise store it in the crisper and use within 4–5 days. No need to peel unless the skin is thick and matte.

Eggplant has two modes: creamy and silky, or spongy and sad and the difference is almost always heat and oil. Cook it hot (425°F in the oven, medium-high on the stove) and give it enough oil and time to collapse from styrofoam into custard. Skip the old advice about salting for 30 minutes. Modern eggplants are bred mild, and the only ones worth salting are big, seedy globes past their prime. The real non-negotiable is not pulling it too early: undercooked eggplant is bitter and squeaky, fully cooked eggplant is sweet. Below you'll find times for roasting, grilling, sautéing, and air frying.