How to Cook Eggplants Without Bitterness

Image by Eran FinkleEggplant, or aubergine, is one of those foods that some people are afraid to cook. It has a famous tendency toward bitterness that we've developed arcane treatments for: salting, soaking in salt water, freezing, and/or pressing. It also has a tendency to absorb oil like a sponge, which makes it tricky to fry.
The surprising truth is that the best way to avoid a bitter eggplant is probably to just cook it. I don't know about the rest of the world, but most of the eggplants available in the United States today are of non-bitter varieties.
That said, older eggplants tend to be more bitter than younger ones, so you should choose eggplants that are firm, shiny, light, and smooth-skinned. Pockmarks and soft spots are indicators of a more bitter eggplant.
The tradition of salting eggplants probably originated when people thought they were dangerous to eat untreated. Salting actually does little to remove bitter compounds, but it can trick our taste buds - saltiness inhibits our ability to taste bitter flavors. So - stuck with a bitter eggplant? Salting it will help (though not necessarily for the reasons you might have thought).
The last time I cooked eggplant, I'd picked up a beautiful, shiny specimen from my local food co-op. My preparation method? Slicing and broiling. I mixed it with some sauteed tomatoes and onions and it was awesome.
Why didn't I just sautee it with the onions and tomatoes? Well, that's the other thing about eggplants. They suck up oil like crazy. Sometimes, you might want this - it can make for a ridiculously rich dish. On the other hand, if all the oil is inside the eggplant, there isn't enough in the pan to sautee with... plus, the eggplant now has a higher fat content. This is a place where salting can help. According to Harold McGee, eggplants act like a sponge for oil because they have numerous air pockets that retain the oil. Salting will pull water through the cell walls and into the air pockets, leaving less room for the oil. A similar effect can be achieved by precooking the eggplant before frying it.