Off the Menu

Tortang Talong

Story by Emily Standlee, recipe by Jane Chatham

Jane Chatham came to the U.S. from Manila, in the Philippines, when her husband decided to study law in St. Louis. Hoping to transfer to a university, she started at St. Louis Community College and fell in love with the culinary program there.

“I went into the field I was born into,” Chatham says. “My mother is a cook and has a neighborhood food stall. She cooked a scratch menu every morning based on what was available at the market.” Chatham soon landed jobs at Robust in downtown St. Louis, as well as the now-shuttered Reeds American Table.

In a twist of fate, she met Michael and Tara Gallina – the acclaimed duo behind Take Root Hospitality – and went on to help them open Vicia, which received a semi-finalist nomination from the James Beard Foundation for Best New Restaurant in 2018.

Now the chef de cuisine at Vicia, Chatham shares her recipe for Tortang Talong – a dish she calls “the omelet Philippines.” She adds: “This is one of my favorite comforting dishes that my husband fell in love with too because of its smoky tender flavor. Each bite is so satisfying. I grew up eating this for breakfast or lunch because it is budget-friendly, a very simple and traditional Filipino dish, and it is very versatile. I make this dish at least once a week.” ln

Tortang Talong (Eggplant Omelet)

| Serves 2 |

 2 small Asian eggplants  3 eggs  ¼ tsp salt  ¹∕8 tsp groundblack pepper  2 Tbsp neutraloil  2 Tbsp mincedonion  1 tsp mincedgarlic  ¼ cup dicedtomato  steamedrice (optional)  bananaketchup (optional)  hotsauce (optional)

| Preparation | Cook the whole eggplants over a flame, such as a gas burner or grill. Using a pair of tongs, place them over the grate – a cooling rack works if you’re using a gas burner – and let them cook until the bottom sides turn black. Rotate.

Once done charring the eggplants, place them in Tupperware and cover. They will continue cooking throughout. Let them cool for a few minutes before removing the lid and peeling them. Peel the charred skin by gently stripping it away; leave the stems intact.

Place the peeled eggplants on a plate, and gently press the back of a fork into the flesh from stem to base to flatten it.

In the meantime, whisk the eggs until fluffy, and season with salt & pepper; if you have eggplant juice from the Tupperware, add it to the eggs as well. You don’t want to waste that extra flavor.

Add the garlic, onion and tomato to the eggs.

In a nonstick pan, add in oil over medium heat. Take one of the eggplants and fully submerge it in the egg mix.

Gently place the coated eggplant into the pan. Drizzle a bit more of the egg mixture on top. Cook until the egg turns golden brown and firms up, about two to three minutes. Carefully flip the omelet with the spatula by holding the stem. Cook for another two minutes. With the remaining egg mixture, repeat with the other eggplant.

Serve the omelet alone or with steamed rice, banana ketchup or hot sauce.