Mashed Eggplant with Garlic and Mint

This recipe comes from Mark Bittman's cooking bible How to Cook Everything.

Ingredients:

• 2 medium or 1 large eggplant (1-1/2 to 2 pounds total)
• Salt
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic (about 4 large cloves)
• 1/2 cup minced fresh parsley leaves, plus more for garnish
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• pinch of red pepper flakes
• 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves

Directions:

1. Peel the eggplant if the skin is thick or the eggplant is less than perfectly firm; cut it into 1-inch-thick slices and salt if time allows.
2. Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Smear a baking sheet with half the oil. Cut several slits on one side of each of the eggplant slices and lay them on the baking sheet. Mix together the remaining oil, the garlic, and the 1/2 cup of minced parsley and sprinkle with salt (if you did not salt the eggplant) and pepper. Spread this mixture on the eggplant slices, pushing it into the slits.
3. Bake without turning until the eggplant is soft, 40 minutes or more. Garnish with parsley and allow to cool slightly.
4. Put the slices in a large bowl and mash with a fork or potato masher. (It's fine to leave the skin on; it will break into small bits.) Stir in lemon juice, red pepper, and mint. Taste and adjust the seasoning and serve drizzled with additional olive oil if you like.
   

Makes 4 servings.

To salt the eggplant: If the eggplant isn't fresh and firm, to remove bitterness sprinkle it liberally with salt and let it rest in a colander for up to an hour or so; then rinse, pat dry, and proceed with the recipe.