When we planted eggplant this spring, we planted a wide variety. We planted the small Indian globe eggplant, the large Italian eggplant, and of course Japanese eggplant. I had no idea we'd have such a proliferation!!!! We are drowning in eggplant and I love it. Maybe because I grew up in an Italian household I have eaten eggplant in it's various permutations since day one. Then 25 years ago when I started cooking Indian food, I was introduced to the large variety of eggplants that were available. So, of course when we planted this Spring, we had a little bit of everything, only a little bit wasn't so little after all.
Usually when cooking eggplant, I've either cooked them in some Italian recipe or cooked them Indian style. I've roasted, stuffed, and pickled but never have I cooked them Japanese style. I figured it was about time.... So...I gathered up my Japanese Eggplants...
Japanese Eggplant With Red Miso aka Nasu Dengaku
Here's What You Need:
2 large Japanese Eggplants
2 Tbs vegetable oil
3 Tbs red miso
1 Tbs sugar
1 Tbs Sake
2 Tbs Mirin
2 Tbs water
Here's What To Do:
Preheat the oven to 392 degrees.
Pick your Japanese eggplant (if you're growing your own) Excuse opportunity to show off the eggplants.
Wash and dry therm and cut them into rounds.
Then quarters.
Place the cut up eggplant in a colander sitting over a bowl, and sprinkle it with 3 Tbs of kosher salt.
Rub the salt around on the eggplant pieces and then let everything sit for 10 minutes.
Rinse the salt off of the eggplants.
The water in the bottom of the bowl? That's the bitter liquid leached out by the salt.
Dry the eggplant, rub it with 1 Tbs of vegetable oil, and place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Spread the pieces out so they're not sitting on top of each other.
Place the baking sheet of eggplant pieces in the oven.
Roast them for 20 minutes. You are looking for the eggplant to be slightly browned.
Meanwhile make the sauce.
Whisk together the sugar...
...Red Miso...
...Sake...
...Mirin, and water. Stir everything together until it is well mixed.
After about 20 minutes take the tray of eggplant out of the oven and drizzle the sauce over the eggplant pieces.
Stir everything around until each piece is coated with sauce.
Then slide the tray of eggplant back into the oven for another 10 minutes, or until the sauce caramelizes.
Take it out of the oven and serve it up!
Sweet and salty, this oven roasted eggplant is a great go to for when you don't feel like getting out the grill. It goes great with any vegetarian meal, or as a side dish with meat or fish. Coming up next, all vegetables all the time, as a big part of our harvest comes in. Of course we're not neglecting dessert either and this is a great time of year for perfecting your "specialitie" for the up coming holidays. I got that. Follow along on Twitter @kathygori
Looks really good. It is nice to serve this over rice. I am thinking to save some of this sauce and stir fry with pork belly. I am sure it will be really yummy. :)
ReplyDelete