Grilled aubergines: the easy recipe and many ideas for seasoning them

Preparation: 15 min

Cooking: 20 min

Rest: 1 Hour

Serves: 4 people

Grilled aubergines are a simple and tasty vegetarian side dish , perfect for appreciating all the goodness of this typical summer vegetable. In our recipe, the aubergines are cut into thin slices, grilled on the griddle  and then seasoned with a slightly spicy marinade made with extra virgin olive oil, garlic and chilli pepper that you can vary according to your tastes, for example by adding aromatic herbs. The secret to preventing the aubergines from sticking to the grill is to use a very hot griddle ; if you prefer, you can cook them in a pan or in the oven, but in this case they will not have the typical dark stripes.

Delicious immediately after preparation, they become even more fragrant and tasty after a few hours of rest. In addition to being a side dish for grilled meat and fish, they are excellent to serve as an appetizer together with cheeses and cured meats or to fill sandwiches, rustic pizzas and savory pies. If not seasoned, they can also be used to make a light parmigiana , tasty involtini or appetizing aubergine pizzas .

Although it is a quick and easy preparation, to have perfect grilled eggplants it is important to follow some small tricks that improve the final result. If the type is not discriminating, so you can use long, oval, black, purple or white eggplants, what you need to pay particular attention to is the cut: the eggplant slices must be half a centimeter , the ideal thickness to avoid them burning or, on the contrary, remaining raw in some places. Bleeding is optional: we chose to sprinkle them with salt and let them rest for half an hour, but when you don’t have time you can skip this step.

Discover how to make grilled eggplants by following the step-by-step procedure and tips, and also try baked eggplants , mushroom-style eggplants and eggplants in oil , all excellent alternatives for cooking eggplants. Among other eggplant recipes , we recommend pasta alla Norma , typical of Sicilian tradition, and babaganoush , popular in Middle Eastern cuisine.

ingredients

round and long aubergines

500 gr

Extra virgin olive oil

50 ml

Garlic

2 wedges

Fresh chilli pepper

1

salt

qb

How to prepare grilled aubergines

Step 1

Start preparing the grilled aubergines by washing and drying the aubergines, then trim them and cut them into slices about half a centimetre thick.1.

Step 2

If you want to eliminate the typical bitter aftertaste, place them in a colander and sprinkle with salt.2. Let them rest like this for half an hour, turning them from time to time.

Step 3

After the indicated time, pat the eggplant slices dry with kitchen paper to absorb the excess vegetable water.3.

Step 4

Now prepare the dressing: put the oil in a small bowl, add half a teaspoon of salt, let it dissolve well and then add the chopped garlic and chili pepper. Mix and set aside while you grill the aubergines4.

Step 5

Now heat a grill, a griddle or a non-stick pan and, when it is very hot, arrange a few slices of aubergines at a time. Cook them for about 2 minutes on each side, the black lines should be clearly visible5.

Step 6

As they are ready, place them on a plate one on top of the other: this way they will remain soft without drying out. When you have finished, season the grilled aubergines with the marinade, distributing it evenly. Let them rest for at least half an hour, better if a few hours, then bring to the table and serve6.

How to season grilled aubergines

We have suggested our favorite seasoning, a flavored oil emulsion that makes grilled aubergines fragrant and irresistible. However, there are many ways to season them: one of the most classic seasonings, for example, is with dried oregano , but other aromatic herbs such as marjoram, thyme, mint and parsley are also excellent . If you don’t like spicy food, you can omit the chili pepper from the marinade, but we suggest you don’t give up on the garlic, which can also be added in cloves so that it can be removed more easily. For a light version without oil, you can season the aubergines with balsamic vinegar or apple cider vinegar .

storage

Grilled aubergines can be stored in the refrigerator, in an airtight container, for 3-4 days . Once grilled, they can also be frozen: place them in transparent plastic bags, taking care to separate the slices with baking paper, so that it is easier to defrost the necessary quantity each time.