Cook time: 40 mins
Yield: 2 to 3 serves
Ingredients:
- 1 large eggplant (aubergine), about 375 gm
- oil, to taste
- sea salt, to taste
- sesame seeds, roasted for garnish
- chopped spring onion, for garnish
- 100 ml mirin
- 1½ Tbsp white miso paste
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 1 Tbsp Japanese soy sauce
- 2 tsp Japanese cooking wine
- Preheat oven to 180C / 356F.
- Rinse the eggplant. Cut it in half lengthwise. Score the flesh deeply, yet not cut through to the skin, with the tip of a sharp knife in a cross-hatch pattern (as shown in picture above). Spray the cut side or brush with oil and season with salt.
- Transfer the eggplant to a lined baking tray. Cover with a foil and bake in the preheated oven for about 40 minutes, until the eggplant is softened.
- In the meantime, combine all the ingredients of sauce in a small sauce pan. Cook over medium heat and stir occasionally. When it starts to boil and the sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from the heat.
- Remove the eggplant from the oven. Discard the excess water. Drizzle the sauce over the top. Sprinkle sesame seeds and spring onion for garnish. Serve immediately.
- Eggplant can soak up a lot of oil. If using oil spray, you can control the amount of fat used without making the dish too heavy.
- Mirin is an essential condiment used in Japanese cuisine, available at Asian grocers.
- When preparing the sauce, you can use a large spoon to press the miso paste and help it dissolve thoroughly.
- It’s better not to over cook the miso paste, or else you’ll lose much of its nutrition.
- When the sauce starts to boil, remove the pan from the heat as quickly as possible.
- The eggplant I used was quite large and thick. This recipe also works for small narrow ones. The baking time needs to be shortened accordingly.
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