Baked and broiled within the oven, this Miso-Glazed Eggplant is definitely the dream dish of any eggplant lover! The eggplant items are properly caramelized on the perimeters but so creamy within the center. It’s a satisfying vegan dish that you would be able to make in half-hour.
Eggplant is definitely a type of under-appreciated and misapprehended greens. Primarily as a result of it may be difficult to cook dinner. Nevertheless, when it’s performed proper, this spongy vegetable has the flexibility to take in flavors and presents the most effective silky, luxurious texture.
To get anybody enthusiastic about eggplant, I’ve a splendidly easy recipe – Miso Glazed Eggplant (茄子の味噌焼き). You don’t have to fret about oil and potential sogginess. Plus, it has a crispy exterior, a super-creamy inside, and a powerful taste. Give it a strive!
A Fast Notice on Miso Glazed Eggplant
At the moment’s recipe is an adaption of the traditional Nasu no Miso Dengaku (茄子の味噌田楽) the place eggplant is grilled and coated with a candy miso glaze. The eggplant is often served along with different grilled gadgets reminiscent of tofu, eggplant, daikon, taro root, and konnyaku as a part of a dish often called Miso Dengaku (味噌田楽). You possibly can learn extra in regards to the historical past and recipe of Miso Dengaku in this publish.
Whereas grill and pan-fry are frequent remedies for eggplant in Japan, right here we’ll use the oven (and broiler) as an alternative. Baking softens and sweetens the eggplant into the most effective texture, and it means that you can cook dinner an enormous batch without delay with minimal effort.
Elements for Miso Glazed Eggplant
- Eggplant (I like to recommend utilizing Japanese, Chinese language, or Italian varieties. The slender ones cook dinner so much quicker)
- Condiments: Miso, mirin, sake, sugar, and sesame oil
- Garnish: Sesame seeds, inexperienced onion, yuzu kosho (non-obligatory for a spicy kick)
How one can Make the Finest Miso Glazed Eggplant
- Slice the eggplants in boat-like halves after which give them criss-cross scores in order that they cook dinner quicker and tackle extra taste.
- Bake the eggplants till tender.
- Brush the eggplants with miso glaze and broil till they obtain a bubbly and caramelized exterior.
What Miso to Use
A traditional Miso Dengaku makes use of crimson miso or hatcho miso (see my recipe). On this recipe, nevertheless, I used Natural White Miso from Hikari Miso. This versatile miso is delicate, flavorful, and easy, and it goes nicely with the vast majority of dishes, together with miso soup, and miso cod.
You’ll find this miso at Japanese/Asian grocery shops and in addition on Amazon.
What if I’ve a distinct sort of miso?
If you have already got a bathtub of miso in your fridge, go forward and use it. Every number of miso (whether or not model or miso sort) has a distinct salt degree, so that you do have to regulate the miso glaze by including extra mirin or sugar.
White miso is on the sweeter facet and tends to be much less salty, so when you’ve got crimson miso (aka miso), you in all probability have to stability out the flavour by including extra mirin or sugar.
What to Serve with Miso Glazed Eggplant
This Miso Glazed Eggplant will be loved as a tasty appetizer, facet or as a principal dish. I like serving it with:
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Servings: 3 (as a facet dish)
For the Garnish (non-obligatory)
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Collect all of the elements. Set the oven rack within the middle of the oven about 7 inches (18 cm) away from the heating component. Preheat the oven to 425ºF (220ºC). For a convection oven, scale back the cooking temperature by 25ºF (15ºC).
To Make the Candy Miso Glaze
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In a small bowl, mix 3 Tbsp miso and 1 Tbsp sugar. Combine nicely till the sugar is dissolved.
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Add 1 Tbsp mirin and steadily add ½ Tbsp sake to your most well-liked consistency (some miso may be chunkier than others). Combine nicely and put aside.
To Put together the Eggplants
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Reduce off the stem and calyx of 3 Japanese eggplants and lower them in half lengthwise from the stem to the tip, creating boat-like halves. In case your eggplants are lengthy, you’ll be able to lower them in half crosswise.
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With the knife, rating the eggplant flesh diagonally in a single course after which the opposite, about ⅛ inch (3 mm) deep and ⅛ inch (3 mm) extensive, in a crisscross sample on the open floor. This crisscross scoring helps cook dinner the eggplants quicker and improves the presentation.
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Soak the eggplants in water for 10 minutes to take away the astringency. Blot the eggplants with paper towels or a clear kitchen towel and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
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Brush the eggplant flesh with 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil. Flip the eggplants over so they’re lower facet down on the baking sheet.
To Bake
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Bake the eggplants at 425ºF (220ºC) for quarter-hour.
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In the meantime, lower 1 inexperienced onion/scallion into skinny rounds.
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Roll up 5 shiso leaves (perilla/ooba) and lower them into julienned strips.
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After quarter-hour, test that the eggplant pores and skin is starting to shrivel and the flesh is tender. Take away the baking sheet from the oven. Now, change the oven setting and preheat the broiler. Hold the oven rack within the middle of the oven, roughly 7 inches (18 cm) away from the heating component.
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Fastidiously flip the eggplants over and brush them with sufficient candy miso glaze to coat the floor utterly. Relying on the dimensions of your eggplants, you’ll have glaze leftover. The unique recipe makes sufficient glaze for 3 massive or 5 medium eggplants. You possibly can freeze it for later or use it to dip veggies for snacks.
To Broil
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Place the eggplants underneath the broiler and broil for 3–5 minutes, or till the glaze begins to bubble, and take away from the broiler. Please observe that the cooking time varies based mostly on how distant you place the baking sheet from the heating component.
To Serve
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Sprinkle the baked eggplants with 2 tsp toasted white sesame seeds, sliced inexperienced onions, and shiso leaves. I put somewhat little bit of yuzu kosho (non-obligatory) on a maple leaf for a spicy kick. Serve instantly.
Energy: 105 kcal · Carbohydrates: 15 g · Protein: 3 g · Fats: 4 g · Saturated Fats: 1 g · Polyunsaturated Fats: 2 g · Monounsaturated Fats: 1 g · Sodium: 321 mg · Potassium: 431 mg · Fiber: 6 g · Sugar: 9 g · Vitamin A: 87 IU · Vitamin C: 5 mg · Calcium: 36 mg · Iron: 1 mg
Editor’s Notice: This publish was initially printed on June 30, 2013. The publish has been up to date with new weblog content material and pictures together with a revised recipe in October 2021.