Japanese Eggplant with Miso Recipe

Japanese Eggplant with Miso

from Vegetarian: A Delicious Celebration of Fresh Ingredients by Alice Hart

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons white miso paste
2 tablespoons superfine sugar
1 tablespoon mirin
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
4 Japanese eggplants or baby eggplants
2 tablespoons peanut oil
2 spring onions, finely shredded
2 tablespoons sprouts, ideally shiso, or wild coriander
2 teaspoons sesame seeds, lightly toasted
Steamed rice and pickled (sushi) ginger, to serve

This and many other wonderful recipes may be found in Alice Hart's
Vegetarian: A Delicious Celebration of Fresh Ingredients

This eggplant is happy to be a light and summery supper option when you'd rather not spend much time in the kitchen, Make sure the eggplant is cooked to buttery tenderness before covering with the miso mixture, and it will be sublime, If you love the taste of sesame, include a few drops of sesame oil in the miso topping.

Combine the miso, sugar, mirin and rice wine vinegar, stirring until smooth. Cut the eggplant into 1 1/4 inch thick slices and brush with peanut oil on both sides. Preheat the broiler and arrange the eggplant slices on a baking sheet in a single layer. Cook, positioned away from the heating element, for 2 minutes on one side, then turn the slices over and broil for another couple of minutes until golden and cooked through.

Smear a little topping over each of the eggplant slices and pop them under the broiler for a further 2 minutes or so. You want the topping to be caramelized and bubbling.

Scatter the grilled eggplant with shredded spring onions, sprouts, and sesame seeds and serve with some steamed rice and pickled ginger.