How to Keep Eggplant from Sticking in a Dutch Oven

Question

Hi there everyone
I love the Milk Street recipe Pisto Manchego but every time I try to brown the eggplant in my Le Creuset dutch oven it sticks. Followed the recipe and then tried different temps but it still sticks. The stuck on bits will then over brown or burn as I continue to sauté the remaining vegetables. I love this recipe and want to solve this problem. I'm considering roasting the eggplant first. Any suggestions folks?

April Dodd · Accepted Answer

Kathie - eggplant can really be tricky and sticky! One trick you can try is to borrow a technique for carbon steel pan cooking and pre-season your dutch oven to give it a temporary nonstick coating that will make your eggplant less likely to stick. To do that, heat a few tablespoons of neutral oil in the Dutch oven over medium-high heat until the oil starts to smoke, swirling the pan around a bit as it heats. Then, pour off that oil into a heat-safe container and proceed with the recipe as written, including with the oil called for. You should find that you get much less sticking. If that solution doesn't appeal, you could always cook off just the eggplant in a large nonstick skillet; my AllClad nonstick 12" pan is a miracle worker for delicate ingredients like eggplant and tofu.
-April D.

How to Keep Eggplant from Sticking in a Dutch Oven

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