My co-worker told me she’s not cooking eggplant anymore. “I’m not roasting it because it always seems to come out wrong.”

I’ve had my own misgivings. Roasting a Japanese eggplant results in more shrivel than meat. Japanese eggplant has its own mind, and even when sauteed, it has little taste. The mouthfeel is more like something I should stuff a chair cushion with than eat. Frying works, because you can fry shoe leather and it would turn out great. Hence the popularity of calamari, in my opinion.

Eggplant’s one grand quality, not to be overlooked, is its ability to melt and meld with other flavors. Baba ghanoush and ratatouille both illustrate this well. I’ve had a Moroccan eggplant salad that is a variation on the same tune. There’s a velvety feel to eggplant that’s long stewed, and it matches and complements a variety of rich flavors. A casserole like moussaka or eggplant parmigiana is really a deconstructed version of a simmered dish, as the vegetable soaks up the sauce and tempers it.

Japanese eggplant is not quite as useful as the globe eggplant for creating structure, but it is a bit sweeter, and much more accessible to us. Braises and stews are its best uses. There’s no need to peel and salt Japanese eggplants as they have little bitterness, and the skin isn’t tough after cooking.

Caponata is a side dish that steals the show. Tomatoes are the primary flavor, plus the eggplant that supports it. With eggplant, caponata is more like a relish, so adding vinegar plays up the sweetness in the dish.

I went with my usual island pantry ingredients in creating this version and swapped the salt with fish sauce. My opinion is that all the Sicilians out there should start doing this, too. They already know how good anchovies are for creating umami.

When serving it with a browned and buttered bread, pile it high, as you would a bruschetta. I enjoy it as a dip for crackers and as a charcuterie accompaniment. You could swap the marinara base on a pizza with caponata and be praised for doing so.

JAPANESE EGGPLANT CAPONATA

By Mariko Jackson

• 3 Japanese-style eggplants
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more as needed
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 2 tablespoons chili-pepper water (optional)
• 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1/4 cup chopped or minced cilantro

Cut eggplant into coins, about 1/3-inch thick.

In heavy-bottomed saute pan, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high. Once hot, reduce heat slightly and add eggplant and onions. Saute about 5 minutes. You may need to add more oil as you saute, as eggplant absorbs oil like a sponge.

Add tomatoes and garlic, turning mixture with a wooden spoon as juice is released by tomatoes. Sauce will get watery, and the eggplant a little spongy. Cover pan and lower heat to low. Check it every couple of minutes and stir, to ensure even cooking and keep bottom from burning.

When tomatoes are mostly sauce, about 7 more minutes, remove lid and simmer. Add fish sauce and chili pepper water, if using. Taste; add more fish sauce, if you like. Stir in rice vinegar. Simmer until caponata becomes a chunky relish, about 10 more minutes.

Remove from heat and sprinkle with cilantro. Makes about 3 cups.

Approximate nutritional information, per 1/2-cup serving: 110 calories, 7 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, no cholesterol, 500 mg sodium, 11 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 6 g sugar, 2 g protein. Approximate nutritional analysis, per 1/2-cup serving using 2 tablespoons oil per eggplant: 170 calories, 14 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, no cholesterol, 500 mg sodium, 11 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 6 g sugar, 2 g protein.

Mariko Jackson blogs about family and food at thelittlefoodie.com. Her column runs on the last Wednesday of the month. Nutritional analysis by Joannie Dobbs, Ph.D., C.N.S.