Birds, fish, most insects and most reptiles lay eggs, as do monotremes and amphibians. Birds lay eggs with a hard shell, and only one at a time, although they may lay several eggs to fill a nest. Reptiles like turtles and crocodiles lay eggs with leathery shells, and can lay hundreds of eggs at once. Fish and frogs lay eggs in the water, and most have no shells or a coating of jelly to make it hard for other things to eat them. Insects also lay eggs, and most are so small you can hardly see them. Only a very very small number of animals lay eggs. The platypus is one of them.
Scientific name: solanum melongena
The eggplant, aubergine or brinjal is a dark, almost black fruit related to the tomato and potato. Eggplants are originally from India, and grow best in tropical and subtropical climates.
Eggplants are a little bitter when they are raw. They have thin skin and do not need to be peeled. Eggplants are often just sliced and fried or grilled, and they have a much nicer flavour when they are cooked. Eggplants can absorb a lot of oil and fat and are good to use in very rich dishes.
An emulsion is a mixture of two ingredients that wouldn't normally blend together, such as oil and water. Many sauces are emulsions.
