cooking eggplant to mush

[zgillenwater]

Although cooking eggplant to mush sounds unappetizing, this is my favorite way to have it, and it's actually the way it is usually served in eggplant dishes I eat out. For instance, I get this grilled eggplant at my favorite mediterranean cafe, and the eggplant is so tender it is really just mush -- melt in your mouth good! Also, eggplant that I've had in eggplant parmigiana and eggplant lasagna have always had that super soft texture.

But, try as I might, I can never get my eggplant like that. I can get it tender, by cooking it for a very long time, but it always has just a little bit of give to it still -- which I hate. I want mush, not tender. Can anyone tell me how to get mushy eggplant?

I'm thinking specifically on P.F. Chang's Spicy Ground Chicken and Eggplant recipe. The eggplant in that is basically mush, and I love it. I have a couple Japanese eggplants from a friend's garden and want to make a copy of this dish. Any advice for cooking the eggplant? I know that stir-frying it for a few minutes is not going to get it nice and soft like at the restaurant.

Thanks!
Zoe

[Kitchen Witch]

Zoe - try cooking your eggplant very slowly to get it to the "mush" stage you are looking for.

[zgillenwater]

Ok. So, you mean over low heat? You think chopped up in a wok in some olive oil would work?

[Kitchen Witch]

yes - over low heat - it mushes better that way