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Eggplant Burgers

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    Eggplant Burgers

    A couple of years ago, I made some eggplant sliders as appetizers for a foodie group we belong to. They weren't bad, although the cook was on someone else's grill, so it wasn't very comfortable. This week, we had a couple of nice sized eggplants on hand from our final CSA basket of the season (until fall, just too damned hot to grow that stuff here in the middle of summer), so I decided to go all the way to burgers this time.

    For the sauce, I did a simple raita with cucumber from the CSA. The trick to keep the raita from going too liquidy is to grate the cucumber and then place it between paper towels to press out water. Don't be afraid to apply a fair amount of pressure and change the paper out at least once. I mixed a half cup of plain yogurt with a third of a cup of the pressed cucumber. I added the juice and zest from half a lime and a quarter teaspoon of ground cumin. That got chilled an hour or two before the cook.

    For the eggplant, I made slices about a half inch thick. I hit them with cooking spray and then dusted with a mix of equal parts grocery store chili powder and MMD. So here are the "burger" patties ready to go on the grill:

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    I set the grill up for direct cooking at 350 with a couple of chunks of pecan. They went ten minutes on each side, with some corn on the grill at the same time.

    Here's a cooked eggplant slice:

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    I buttered and lightly toasted some burger buns. I enjoyed my burgers with the last CSA plum tomato, lettuce and the raita. My wife had one that way and her second one was just eggplant and raita on the bun. She said she liked that one better. The eggplant gets to a really creamy consistency on the inside and all the flavors work well for me. Back when I did the sliders, I also provided some chipotle crema with them and that worked well, too.

    Assembling burgers:

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    And time to dig in:

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    I'll tag jfmorris here in case this is something that Yvonne could try eventually.

    #2
    Interesting. I've always eaten eggplant fried. Now I got a hankering for some.

    Comment


      #3
      Thanks for the idea. I usually cut mine 1/4”, paint hem with olive oil and dust them with Creole Vegetable Seasoning. I have never served the like a burger.

      Comment


        #4
        Thanks for the post Jim White . I'll have to give this a try since it's almost Garden Season here.

        Comment


          #5
          Jim White I’ll have to try this when I find some eggplant - thanks for the idea!

          Comment


            #6
            Is it true that it's hot enough to grow stewed tomatoes and baked potatoes there now.

            Comment


            • Jim White
              Jim White commented
              Editing a comment
              The potatoes are stewed, too. All that humidity, you know.

            #7
            Ya know, as hard as I’ve tried & other folks have tried, I’ve never had eggplant that’s impressed me to take a second bite. Now I’ve taken second bites & smiled out of courtesy, but I just can’t get past the bland taste. I’ve been at a table 2 or 4 times where the folks I am eatin with are amazed at this sauce & this technique and I sit there wonderin if they are eatin the same thing I am. As a matter of fact I have waited all my life to make this confession, so you all are the first to hear it. I may even tell my wife & friends about the load off of my conscience now that I’ve come clean. A true revelation for the ages. Keep cookin! 🕶
            Last edited by FireMan; June 15, 2020, 07:20 PM.

            Comment


            • smokenoob
              smokenoob commented
              Editing a comment
              100 Hail Mary’s and 1000 Our Fathers for you! Now, ready to try eggplant again????

            #8
            Noice! My wife marinates and grills eggplant as a side, I really like it! I’ll have to do a write up!

            but, I like mine with lettuce n tomato, Heinze 57 ........awe, ya’ll know the rest....
            Saw Jimmy in your neck of the woods on campus for free back....... let me see.......early 70’s ....think it was Gram hill lawn pond?......memory is kinda fuzzy....maybe you were there?

            Comment


            • Jim White
              Jim White commented
              Editing a comment
              Didn't get here until 93. Would still like to catch him live some day.

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