Does Eggplant Need To Be Soaked Before Cooking?
Eggplant does not necessarily need to be soaked before cooking, but it can benefit from a process called “degorging” to remove excess moisture and bitterness, especially for dishes that require frying or grilling. To do this, you slice or dice the eggplant, sprinkle it with salt, and let it sit for around 30 minutes to an hour. Then, you rinse the eggplant and pat it dry before cooking. This step can also improve the texture and flavor of the final dish. However, if you’re cooking with small, tender eggplants, you can skip the degorging step or just lightly salt them for a few minutes.