Removing the skin from an eggplant improves its flavor and texture. Fortunately, this is quite a simple operation.
Steps
Part 1 of 2: Peel the Eggplant
Step 1. Wash the vegetable
Rinse it under cold running water and then dry it with kitchen paper.
- Even if you are about to remove the skin, you need to make sure it is clean of dirt. Bacteria and dirt can transfer to your hands and from there to the pulp of the vegetable as you peel it. Washing the eggplant beforehand will minimize this risk.
- For the same reason, make sure your hands are clean before handling the eggplant, wash them thoroughly with soap and water, and then dry them.
Step 2. Cut the end
Use a sharp kitchen knife to remove the stem, make a clean cut by placing the blade of the knife just under the base of the stem.
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The part of the aubergine connected to the stem and leaves is obviously harder than the rest of the vegetable, so if you remove it, you will improve the consistency of your preparation.
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This cut also strips some of the eggplant pulp and provides you with a starting point for peeling it.
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At this stage, if you wish, you can also remove the other end of the vegetable. Removing the skin on the bottom of the eggplant can be complicated and some people prefer to remove the last centimeter.
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Step 3. Remove a strip of peel
Grab the eggplant with your non-dominant hand, placing one end on the cutting board and holding the vegetable slightly inclined. With your hand in control, place the potato peeler blade on top of the eggplant and then drag it down along the entire length of the vegetable. By doing this, you remove a long strip of skin.
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Always peel the aubergine from top to bottom and do not proceed horizontally. In fact, it is easier to handle this way, plus the process is much faster and you are less likely to accidentally injure yourself.
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The eggplant should be angled away from you so the blade isn't too close to your body as you go.
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If you don't have a peeler, use a small curved knife. Put the blade under the peel of the vegetable in the upper end of the same. Drag the blade down carefully to remove the skin but not the pulp.
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Step 4. Remove the rest of the skin in the same way
Place the peeler blade in the section immediately adjacent to the one you just peeled. Drag the blade down once more and remove another strip of leather. Continue like this until you have peeled all the vegetable.
In theory, you should be able to remove all the peel in neat strips, without leaving any residue on the pulp, as you work around the entire perimeter of the eggplant
Step 5. Check if you have left any traces
Check all the eggplant, if you notice any spots or strips of skin that you have forgotten, go over the peeler blade in those points. Repeat the process until all the eggplant is clean.
- Always remember to perform longitudinal and not transverse movements.
- This step concludes the eggplant peeling process. You can now use it as directed in the recipe of your choice.
Part 2 of 2: Variations and Suggestions
Step 1. Consider not peeling the eggplant
Many people prefer the taste and texture of a peeled eggplant, however it is a completely edible part and there is no real need to remove the skin.
- It is a part rich in fiber, so it is very useful from a nutritional point of view.
- Unfortunately, the peel is also bitter and therefore not always pleasant to eat.
- The need to eliminate it also depends on how the eggplant will be cooked. If you have to grill or roast it in slices, the skin allows the pulp to remain compact. If, on the other hand, you have to cut it into cubes, sauté it in a pan or bread it before cooking it, the peel does not play any “sealing” role.
- As a general rule, you should always peel eggplants that are starting to get too ripe. In fact, as this vegetable ages, the skin becomes harder and harder to cook. Young and tender eggplants can be cooked with or without skin.
Step 2. Peel the eggplant with a striped pattern
In this way you alternate strips with the skin to others without. Where the skin is still present it will allow the pulp not to flake off.
To perform this variant, follow the normal procedures, but with one exception: instead of removing all the peel, leave intact strips, 2.5 cm thick between one pass and the next of the peeler. This way you will get a two-colored eggplant at almost regular intervals
Step 3. Peel the eggplant partially when you slice it
If you have to cut lengthwise slices, you can leave most of the peel intact. You just have to remove the part of the skin that is in front and behind the eggplant.
- Hold the eggplant vertically and remove a strip of skin lengthwise. Rotate the vegetable and remove another strip diametrically opposite to the first, then cut the aubergine into slices parallel to these strips of bare pulp. The sides of each slice will have skin while the front and back will not.
- This way your dish will be more colorful and with a different flavor.
Step 4. Remove the skin after cooking the eggplant
Although this is usually a procedure that takes place before cooking, you can also separate the pulp from the skin later, just before eating or serving the eggplant.
- You can use a curved knife for this. Wait until the aubergine is a little cold to be able to handle it without burning your fingers. With your non-dominant hand, hold the vegetable still and with the other remove the skin, trying not to detach the pulp as well. The skin should peel off quite easily.
- Depending on how soft the eggplant is after cooking, you can even use your fingers to peel it.
- Alternatively, if you are the only one eating aubergine and you don't have to worry about serving portions to other diners, you can separate the pulp from the skin simply with a spoon or fork while you eat it.
