Eggplant (Aubergine) Appetizer - Romanian Style - (Vinete)

TOOLBELT DIVA's Note:

Annie swore by Mazola oil... Annie is my mother; Her children all affectionately called her Annie. Eggplant was relatively inexpensive. It was used frequently in various Romanian recipes prepared in my home. I developed a taste for the eggplant's distinctive flavour and enjoy it to this day.

• Total Time: 1 hrs
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 40 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 6

• 1 large eggplant
• 1 medium onion , grated
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• ¼ cup corn oil
• salt
• pepper

Directions:

1. Broil eggplant on all sides until well cooked -- turning frequently as it cooks.
2. Scrape the purple skin off, and discard skin.
3. Mash eggplant well with a wooden spoon,.
4. Add salt and pepper, to taste.
5. Mix grated onions with one tsp of mazola oil.
6. Add to mashed eggplant.
7. Add remaining 1/4 cup of oil to eggplant slowly, stirring constantly.
8. Add lemon juice.
9. Mix well, and serve as an appetizer on crackers or other bread rounds.

Reviews

[Jennifer Peacock]

It was just OK for me, maybe too much onion. And it was a bit runny. Perhaps I should strain the eggplant next time and get rid of the excess liquid? I'll probably look for another recipe to try in the future.

[littlemafia]

I can never have enough of this! I leave out the lemon juice and I wrap the eggplant in a paper towel to cool off and the skin peels of easier.

[Chef #1294552]

I rate this recipe based on having eaten this dish countless times in my life; it's great with French bread and slices of tomato. To improve color, cut back on some of the salt and oil and add some mayonnaise instead. Make sure it's real mayo. This will really lighten up the color (it will look similar to guacamole) and add a little "something" to the taste. Also using metal utensils tends to darken the color, so try and use only plastic or wood bowls and utensils. When I bring eggplants home from the store, I pierce each with a fork several times, put them in the oven on the middle rack, turn the oven to about 400F and leave them to roast for about 1 hr. You can tell they're done if when you insert a fork or knife in them you meet no resistance after you pierce the skin. I usually leave them in the oven to cool, then take them to the sink, peel the skin off, place the eggplant on a cutting board, position it such that the juices drain in the sink and let them drain a little bit. When roasted properly, they should mash easily with a spoon.