Eggplant and Tomato Stew (Guiso de Berenjena) Recipe
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A tasty Cuban dish from Chicago chef Randy Zweiban.
Game plan: Chef Zweiban prefers slender Chinese eggplant with pale purple skin because it doesn’t need to be peeled and doesn’t have a bitter flavor, but you can substitute regular eggplant. For regular eggplant, salt the pieces, set them in a colander to drain, and place a weight on them (a small bowl works) for 15 minutes to 1 hour. Pat them dry with paper towels before using.
- 3 pounds Chinese eggplant
- 1 cup canola oil
- 1 cup finely diced red onion
- 1 cup finely diced red bell pepper
- 1/3 cup sherry vinegar
- 3 cups peeled and diced tomatoes, seeds removed
- 2 tablespoons whole cumin, toasted and ground
- 1 tablespoon whole coriander seed, toasted and ground
- 1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
- Wash the eggplants and cut them in half lengthwise. Slice them into half rounds about 1/4 inch thick.
- In a large frying pan, heat 1/3 cup of the oil over medium-high heat, and cook a third of the eggplant in the oil until golden brown. Repeat with the remaining eggplant in two more batches, using 1/3 cup oil for each batch.
- After all the eggplant is cooked, place it on a plate and set aside. Add the onion and red pepper to the pan, and cook over medium heat until soft and caramelized, about 5 minutes.
- Pour off the excess oil, then add the sherry vinegar to the pan, scraping up any of the browned bits that have adhered to the bottom with a wooden spoon. Cook until the vinegar has evaporated, then add the tomatoes.
- Cook the tomatoes over low heat until they are thickened and saucy. Add the cumin and coriander, then return the eggplant to the pan and continue cooking on low heat for about 10 minutes. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and stir in the cilantro.
Beverage pairing: Boutari Moschofilero, Greece. This ratatouillelike dish could go with almost any wine from light red to rosé to white. The latter choice, however, is the most exciting, as the bright pick-me-up of this Greek white wine contrasts with the richness of the eggplant, and its beguiling perfume of white flowers and citrus zest lifts the whole ensemble.
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Climberdoc I haven't personally made this dish (it was posted before my time at CHOW.com) but I would say that you certainly could reduce the amount of oil to just a few tablespoons per batch. It may change the flavor of the eggplant slightly, but will be a lot healthier, and still tasty. Let us know how it goes for you. Jill (CHOW.com Kitchen)
Is a whole cup of oil really necessary here?
Canola oil is simply wrong here. Use good extra virgin olive oil, and you'll have a sublime dish. Brushing with oil and roasting will not yield the desirable unctuous result.
Not Cuban once again.
I had Italian eggplant in the garden, Roma tomatoes as well, I followed the recipe to the letter, served over rice, it was great. I did find that the eggplant did not turn golden brown at all. I did fry them in about 1/2" of oil in a wok. They turned translucent grey at best (and they were fresh from the plant!). I think to do this again, I would lay the eggplant on a baking sheet and roast them just brushed with olive oil. Turn them half way, and call it suitable for stew. I have started this oven roasting with eggplant parmesan when I noticed a number of people would not have a second helping because of perceived oil in the dish.
awesome recipe. i omitted the coriander though. i urge people to get the chinese eggplant as it's much more tender, sweeter and milder.
but the cumin, coriander and cilantro are what makes this more "creole"
Oh my, used the oil from marinated mozzarella to cook the eggplant and it was dynamite! Subbed basil, parsley out of the garden for the cumin, coriander and cilantro.
sounds like an awful lot of oil for cooking the eggplant...was the finished stew noticeably oily?
Wow! This recipe saved my life last night. It is so hard to find a recipe to which I can find all the ingredients in Yemen. I had to substitute the vinegar, but everything else was available and there wasnt one bit left at the end of the party. It was delicious! Thanks!!
Just noticed something in the beverage pairing blurb: "hearty, garlic-laden stew." I don't see garlic listed as an ingredient in the recipe though.
Simple. Quick. Delicious. We served this with some mozzarella and corn arepas and quickly found ourselves leaning back in our chairs blissfully full.