Grilling aubergines: Tips for gas grill, charcoal grill and oven.

If you grill aubergines correctly, the eggplant will become crispy and tender. They can be prepared on a charcoal or gas grill as well as in the oven

Grilling aubergines: Tips for preparation

Properly prepared, grilled aubergines are a delicious side dish. To prevent the eggplant from becoming tough and spongy or having a bitter taste when grilled, there are a few things you should keep in mind when preparing it:

• Wash the aubergine under clear water first, remove the stalk and then slice it either lengthwise or crosswise.
• To prevent the aubergine slices from becoming tough, it is important that you drain them first before processing. To do this, place the slices on a paper towel or a clean tea towel and sprinkle them with salt on both sides.
• Let it sit for about a quarter of an hour and finally dab the slices again with a piece of kitchen roll.
• Finish by brushing the slices on both sides with olive oil or a marinade. Be sparing with the salt – after all, you have already salted the aubergine properly when draining it.

Tasty marinades for grilled aubergines

When putting together a marinade, you can fall back on tried-and-tested recipes or venture into culinary experiments.

• For a classic marinade, mix some olive oil, garlic and herbs such as parsley, thyme, marjoram, rosemary or oregano.
• Prepare a spicy marinade with Asian flair using sesame oil, soy sauce, fish sauce, sesame seeds and a little honey or maple syrup.
• Add exotic spices such as Ras el-Hanout or Garam Masala to the basic marinade of oil and garlic for a special taste experience.

Cooking aubergine: Tips for grilling and oven

Whether on the charcoal grill, gas grill or in the oven – grilled aubergines are a real treat. Once you have drained and marinated them, the most time-consuming part of the preparation is done and the slices can go into the oven on the grill.

• Grill: Either put the aubergine slices directly on the grill or place a grill tray underneath to prevent the slices from accidentally sliding through the grate. As soon as the slices become glazed and have a golden brown crust, they are cooked.
• Oven: To grill aubergines in the oven, preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius convection or 200 degrees Celsius upper-lower heat. Depending on the thickness of the slices, the vegetables will be cooked after 15 to 20 minutes. For extra browning, switch on the grill function for a few minutes towards the end of cooking.