Vegetable
Aubergine
BerenjenaAlbergíniaSolanum melongena
It's a sponge: it soaks up all the oil you give it. Charred whole over a flame it becomes something else, creamy and smoky, without a drop extra.
When
Around: Jun–Oct · At its best: Jul–Sept
Around: Jun–Oct · At its best: Jul–Sept
Around: Dec–Apr · At its best: Jan–Mar
Around here
It's the star of escalivada: aubergine, pepper and onion charred in the embers, peeled into strips and dressed with oil, sometimes on bread with anchovies. It also goes into samfaina and stuffed aubergines. Further away, in Ciudad Real, the Berenjena de Almagro PGI is a small aubergine pickled in vinegar.
At the market
- Smooth, taut, glossy skin; if it's dull or wrinkled, it's old.
- It should feel heavy for its size.
- Press gently: it should give and spring back; if the dent stays, it's past it; if it's rock hard, it's unripe.
- The calyx (the little cap) should be green and fresh, not dry or brown.
At home
- It doesn't like real cold: somewhere cool, or the fridge drawer if it's very hot.
- It keeps three or four days; then it softens and turns bitter.
- Once cut it darkens fast: slice it just before cooking.
If you have too much
- Char several at once, peel them and freeze the flesh: it works for escalivada, soups or dips.
- Escalivada in a jar, covered in oil and kept in the fridge, for the week.
- Samfaina in bulk, frozen in portions.
- Griddled slices frozen with paper between them, for lasagne or moussaka.
In the kitchen
- Escalivada, with pepper and onion, on bread with anchovies.
- Samfaina, with salt cod or chicken.
- Battered or fried, with a drizzle of cane molasses.
- Stuffed with mince or their own flesh and béchamel, then gratinated.
- Charred aubergine dip with tahini, garlic and lemon (baba ghanoush).
- Grilled, halved, with garlic and parsley.
What it brings
Per 100 g, raw.
- Energy
- 25 kcal
- Water
- 92% water
- Carbs
- 5.9 g
- Sugars
- 3.5 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
- Protein
- 1 g
Stands out for
- Source of fibre3 g
Data from the USDA (FoodData Central). See the full table ↗ · How we decide what stands out
In the family recipes
- Berenjenas rebozadas Grandma's
The recipes are in Spanish.
Goes with
- PepperJul–OctGreen and red are usually the same pepper at two stages: the red one was left to ripen on the plant. That's why it's sweeter and dearer.
- TomatoJun–OctAn August tomato and a January one only share the colour. And a good tomato's worst enemy isn't winter: it's your fridge.
- CourgetteMay–SeptAnyone with a plant in the garden knows: one day it's a finger, three days later a baseball bat. The small ones are the good ones; the giants are water and seeds.