Make 'Em Sweat

Tonight's cooking adventure was driven by two factors: a) I needed to use my eggplant and b) I couldn't wait any longer to try out my mini George Foreman grill!  I made a variation of Whole Living's spicy seared eggplant.

 Bonus:  I learned how to make eggplants weep.

It's a sad sight to see.  They know where they're going next...

Here's what you'll need:

1 medium eggplant
Salt (*evil laugh*)
1 shallot, cut into 1/4-in slices
1 small garlic clove, finely chopped
1 1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tbsp golden raisins
1/8 cup +1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp water
Vegetable oil

Sweating the eggplant:  Slice the eggplant into 3/4-in discs.  Sprinkle salt on them and set them in a colander over a bowl (to catch the water).  Let sit about 30 minutes, then rinse and blot dry.

Doin' its thing

Meanwhile, start heating up the grill and grease it with vegetable oil.

Stir the shallot, garlic, balsamic vinegar, red pepper and 2 tbsp water together in a small pot on the stove.  Once boiling, let cook for about 1 minute.  Remove from heat and add in the raisins and 1/8 cup olive oil.

Once the eggplant discs are done weeping, coat them in the rest of the olive oil.  Grill for about 5-6 minutes each, or until tender and "charred," as the original recipe describes.

Serve the eggplant with the vinegar sauce on top.

It may just be that I'm still in the honeymoon phase with balsamic vinegar, but these were delicious!  The eggplant was a little crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, and the raisins complemented the flavor delightfully.