Filipino Eggplant Omelet Tortang Talong Recipes

EGGPLANT OMELET (TORTANG TALONG)

Steps:

• Preheat the broiler.
• Lay the eggplants in a single layer on a baking sheet and broil them, flipping once or twice, until they are soft and blackened on all sides, about 15 minutes. (If you have a gas stove, you can do this by holding the eggplants with tongs over a burner on medium-high heat, turning them so they blacken on all sides.)
• Place the softened eggplants in a ziplock bag. Set aside for 10 minutes to steam (this makes the skin easier to peel). Peel the eggplants, discarding the skins, and use a fork to gently flatten the flesh.
• Put the eggs in a shallow bowl. Beat well and season with salt and pepper.
• In a large skillet, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat. Dip each eggplant in the beaten eggs, letting it soak for a second or two so that it is well covered with the egg. Season the egg-dipped eggplant with additional salt and pepper and place it in the skillet. Repeat with the other eggplant, making sure there's room between them in the skillet. Place 1 tablespoon of the crab (if using) on top of each eggplant, pressing it down with a fork.
• When the eggplants are crispy and browned on one side, 4 to 5 minutes, flip them over and cook until browned and crispy on the second side, about 3 minutes more. Transfer the eggplants to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
• Serve hot or at room temperature, with fish sauce.

FILIPINO EGGPLANT OMELET (TORTANG TALONG)

Steps:

• On a grill or open flame, scorch eggplant skins until blackened. (Using stem as handle, try to turn eggplants on every side to char as much of the skin as possible.) Place them whole in a heatproof dish and cover with a tight-fitting lid or plastic wrap. Let eggplants steam in the residual heat until they turn limp. Once they have had a chance to cool, gently peel away skins and discard. Set peeled eggplants aside.
• In large pan, heat about 1 tablespoon oil till hot. Add onion & garlic and saute until light brown. Mix in ground pork and saute until cooked. Add diced tomato and cook until softened. Add fish sauce and cook over medium heat 5 minutes or until moisture has evaporated. Remove mixture from heat and set aside to cool.
• In flat baking dish or pie pan, whisk eggs until frothy. Add both eggplants, laying them side by side with stem ends sticking up and out of the bowl together. Using a fork, gently mash eggplant meat until flattened. Add pork mixture and make sure it and eggplant are well-coated with beaten eggs. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
• In large nonstick skillet on medium high, heat 1 tablespoon oil. Carefully slide eggplant and egg mixture into pan, with stem ends sticking up together. Lower flame to medium heat. Once egg mixture looks opaque around edges, cover pan with a large plate (should be at least 1 inch bigger than pan circumference) and quickly turn pan upside down so the eggplant mixture lands on the plate (the cooked side should be on top). Return pan to stove, add a little bit more oil on medium heat. Carefully slide the eggplants uncooked side down, into the pan. Lower heat to medium and cook until eggs are cooked through.
• Serve hot with rice.

TORTANG TALONG (FILIPINO EGGPLANT OMELETTE)

Steps:

• Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). With the tip of a sharp knife, poke four 1/2-inch slits in each eggplant. Place eggplant on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper or aluminum foil and roast until fully tender, offering little to no resistance when pierced with a knife, about 30 minutes. Set aside until cool enough to handle, about 15 minutes.
• Peel eggplant, leaving stems attached; discard skin. With the back of a fork, press down firmly to flatten each eggplant along its length until it resembles a large teardrop in shape; set aside.
• In a 12-inch stainless steel, cast iron, or nonstick skillet, heat 2 tablespoons (30ml) vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic, season lightly with salt, and cook, stirring frequently, until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add ground pork and cook, stirring occasionally and breaking up any large pieces, until cooked through and lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Add oyster sauce, fish sauce, and soy sauce and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until liquid is absorbed, about 1 minute. Remove skillet from heat, and set aside to let cool slightly.
• In a medium bowl, beat 3 eggs until homogenous and frothy. Add ground pork mixture and stir to combine; set aside. In a wide, shallow dish, beat remaining 2 eggs until homogenous and frothy, season with salt and pepper, and set aside. Clean skillet and return to stovetop.
• Adjust oven temperature to 200°F (95°C). Set a wire rack in a rimmed baking sheet and line with a double layer of paper towels. In the cleaned skillet, heat 3/4 cup (175ml) vegetable oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Working with one eggplant at a time, hold eggplant by stem, and evenly coat on all sides with beaten egg mixture. Allow excess egg to drip off, and carefully add to skillet. Repeat coating process with second eggplant and add to skillet. Top each eggplant with a heaping 1/4 cup (60g) of ground pork mixture, evenly pressing mixture down along the length of each eggplant to ensure it adheres to the surface. Cook, shaking pan occasionally, until bottom side is golden brown and crisp, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spatula, carefully flip eggplant and continue to cook until golden brown on second side, about 1 minute 30 seconds.
• Transfer eggplant to prepared baking sheet, then transfer to oven to keep warm. Repeat coating and cooking process with remaining eggplant, adding more oil to skillet as needed.
• Transfer to individual plates and serve immediately with white rice and ketchup.