Well, perhaps that’s an overstatement: I was pleased with the texture of the eggplant, with its supple skin and creamy flesh, but whenever I stirred, the delicate pieces tended to break apart. So instead of using a spoon, I simply swirled the skillet.
That helped, but the size and shape of the pieces, as well as the eggplant variety, also had an impact on whether or not the chunks stayed intact. I knew that each piece needed to have some skin attached, since skinless flesh fell apart and muddied the sauce. Also, I wanted the recipe to work with the most commonly available types of eggplant, each with a different size and shape: long, slender Chinese or Japanese eggplant; larger, bulbous globe eggplant; and smaller Italian eggplant. Coin‑shaped slices worked well for the Asian varieties but were too large for the others. Conversely, slicing into rounds and then into pie-shaped wedges was well suited to larger eggplant but not the smaller ones. The only method that worked across the board was cutting the eggplant in half crosswise and then lengthwise into slim, even wedges. This way, each piece was guaranteed to have a uniform ratio of skin to flesh no matter the dimensions of the eggplant. (It was also important to choose moderately sized Italian or globe eggplants: Cut into wedges, the big swaths of flesh that were created with large eggplants were more liable to break away from the skin.)
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Start Free TrialAbsolutely the best chicken ever, even the breast meat was moist! It's the only way I'll cook a whole chicken again. Simple, easy, quick, no mess - perfect every time. I've used both stainless steel and cast iron pans. great and easy technique for “roasted” chicken. I will say there were no pan juices, just fat in the skillet. Will add to the recipe rotation. Good for family and company dinners too. I've done this using a rimmed sheet pan instead of a skillet and put veggies and potatoes around the chicken for a one-pan meal. Broccoli gets nicely browned and yummy!
Absolutely the best chicken ever, even the breast meat was moist! It's the only way I'll cook a whole chicken again. Simple, easy, quick, no mess - perfect every time. I've used both stainless steel and cast iron pans. great and easy technique for “roasted” chicken. I will say there were no pan juices, just fat in the skillet. Will add to the recipe rotation. Good for family and company dinners too.
Amazed this recipe works out as well as it does. Would not have thought that the amount of time under the broiler would have produced a very juicy and favorable chicken with a very crispy crust. Used my 12" Lodge Cast Iron skillet (which can withstand 1000 degree temps to respond to those who wondered if it would work) and it turned out great. A "make again" as my family rates things. This is a great recipe, and I will definitely make it again. My butcher gladly butterflied the chicken for me, therefore I found it to be a fast and easy prep. I used my cast iron skillet- marvellous!
John, wasn't it just amazing chicken? So much better than your typical oven baked chicken and on par if not better than gas or even charcoal grilled. It gets that smokey charcoal tasted and overnight koshering definitely helps, something I do when time permits. First-time I've pierced a whole chicken minus the times I make jerk chicken on the grill. Yup, the cast iron was not an issue.