I absolutely adore aubergines. I could eat them every day, and often do. I’m always on the lookout for new recipes for them. A recent discovery was Sabrina Ghayour‘s incredible recipe for Kashk-e-Bedemjan – aubergines with caramelised onions and whey. It BLEW MY MIND! You can find the recipe for this in her brilliant book Persiana.
Aaaanyway, one of my all-time favourite ways to make aubergines is by slathering them in a miso glaze and cooking them until they’re caramelised, sweet, salty, soft, smoky and creamy. This is a Japanese dish called Nasu Dengaku.
I am a great lover of any dish that is quick and easy to make, that also tastes delicious. In the evenings after work I don’t always have the energy or time to make anything lengthy or complicated, but this is so easy. If you look online, you will find lots of different ways to make this dish, and I’m sure each way works well. The recipe below is just the way I’ve found works well for me. I don’t add sake (mainly because I never had it in the house so got used to not using it), I also don’t add as much sugar as others, and I don’t like to fry mine so I guess this way is a little healthier. For me, its the perfect dish to make when I get home from work as it is ready in 30 minutes.
INGREDIENTS
1 aubergine/eggplant
2 tbsp white miso
1 tbsp mirin (rice wine)
1 tsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp sesame oil
Sesame seeds
Spring onion, sliced
I simply cut an aubergine lengthways then cross the flesh, making sure not to cut right through the skin. I then drizzle a little sesame oil over the top, add a little sea salt, place on a baking tray and pop it in the oven at 180°C/350°F for approx 15/20 minutes or until soft.
Meanwhile I mix the white miso and mirin in a small pan and simmer over a medium heat for about 2 minutes. Then I stir in a teaspoon of brown sugar and turn down the heat. (If you want to add in more sugar, you can of course, this is just to my personal taste.)
When the aubergine is soft, I take it out the oven and turn on the grill/broiler. I spoon the miso glaze over the top of the aubergine halves then pop them under the grill/broiler for about 3-5 minutes, or until the glaze bubbles.
To finish off, I sprinkle with sesame seeds and spring onion and serve warm.
This dish really is insanely tasty. Its soft and creamy, its sweet and salty, its absolutely divine.
1 Comment
I love miso with salmon but I’ve never thought to pair it with aubergine. Thanks for the idea!