Sichuan Spicy Eggplant: Description

Sichuan spicy eggplant
https://omnivorescookbook.com/sichuan-eggplant/
DESCRIPTION
Crispy eggplant covered in a sticky sweet, sour, savory and slightly spicy sauce. A
signature Sichuan dish that turns eggplant haters into eggplant lovers. {vegetarian
adaptable}
INGREDIENTS
 2 (400 grams in total) eggplant, cut to 8-cm (3-inch) sticks (*Footnote 1)

 1 teaspoon salt
 1/4 cup cornstarch (to coat the eggplant)
Sauce
 3 tablespoons Chinkiang vinegar

 1 tablespoon light soy sauce (or soy sauce)
 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce (or soy sauce)
 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry)
 1 tablespoon dòubànjiàng (fermented chili bean paste)
 2 tablespoons sugar
 1/2 cup chicken stock (or vegetable stock)
 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Cook
 1/2 cup peanut oil (or vegetable oil)

 2 teaspoons Sichuan peppercorn
 4 green onions, chopped
 3 tablespoons minced garlic (about 8 cloves garlic)
 1 tablespoon minced ginger
 (Optional) 230 grams (1/2 pound) ground pork (*Footnote 2)
 8 to 10 Chinese dried chili peppers (or Korean dried chili peppers)
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Chop eggplant into long sticks of about 2-inch (5-cm) long and 1/4-inch (6-mm)
thick.
2. Place eggplant in a large bowl and add water to cover. Add 1 teaspoon salt,
mix well. Place a pot lid on top to keep the eggplant under water for 15
minutes. Drain and pat dry.
3. Add all the sauce ingredients into a bowl. Stir to mix well.
4. Sprinkle eggplant with cornstarch and mix by hand, until eggplant is evenly
coated with witha thin layer of cornstarch.
5. Add oil to a large nonstick skillet and heat over medium high heat until hot.
Spread eggplant across the bottom of the skillet without overlapping (you
might need to cook in 2 or 3 batches). Fry the eggplant one side at a time until
all the surfaces are charred and the eggplant turns soft, 5 to 7 minutes.
Transfer to a plate. Cook the remaining batch(es) with the same method. If the
skillet gets too hot and starts to smoke, turn to medium heat.
6. Once the eggplant is all cooked, remove the pan from the stove. Drain extra oil
and only leave 1 tablespoon in the pan by pouring the oil into a heatproof bowl,
or wipe the pan with a few layers of paper towels attached to the front end of a
pair of tongs.
7. Add the Sichuan peppercorns into the pan. Cook over medium heat until the
peppercorns turn dark brown. Remove them with a spatula and transfer to a
small bowl (*Footnote 3). Add green onion, garlic, ginger, and dried chili
peppers. Stir a few times to release the fragrance.
8. Stir the sauce again to completely dissolve the cornstarch, then pour into the
pan. Stir until the sauce thickens. Return the eggplant to the pan and quickly
stir to mix everything well.
9. Turn to the lowest heat and taste the sauce (be careful, it will be very hot!)
Adjust flavor by sprinkling a bit more salt or sugar, if needed. Turn to medium
heat and mix well again. Transfer everything to a plate immediately.
10. Serve hot over steamed rice as a main course.
__________
Eggplant is one of those vegetables that almost begs for strong, pungent spices and
sauces. And one of the most popular vegetable dishes in Sichuan cooking is "fish-fragrant
eggplant", an unfortunate literal translation of the Chinese name ( yuxiang qiezi) without
the cultural nuance. You see, it doesn't actually smell or taste like fish. Rather, the name
refers to method of preparation usually associated with fish in Sichuan cuisine that results
in hot, sour, salty, and sweet flavors all co-mingling on the plate.
My recipe calls for Sichuan pepper, which may be a bit hard to find, but you can always
leave it out or substitute a bit of cayenne pepper. For the sauce I also like to use chili bean
paste that you may recall from some other Sichuan dishes like dry-fried green
beans and twice-cooked pork. Vinegar, soy sauce, and sugar complete the four-flavors
balance, with additional seasonings for background support.
Rather than deep-frying, like many other recipes call for, I like to use just a bit of oil and
stir-fry until the outsides are golden brown. This seems to result in a less oily, but still
flavorful, eggplant dish. For meatier oomph, you can also add a bit of minced pork and
stir-fry it with the garlic and ginger.
_________________________________________
Sichuan Eggplant (Fish-Fragrant Eggplant)
Serves 4
Ingredients
 1 1/2 pounds Asian eggplant

 2 tablespoons chicken or vegetable stock, or substitute water
 2 tablespoons chili bean paste
 2 tablespoons soy sauce
 2 tablespoons Chinese black vinegar, or substitute good-quality balsamic vinegar
 1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
 2 teaspoons sugar
 2 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil
 3 garlic cloves, minced
 1 tablespoon minced ginger
 1 teaspo0n cornstarch
 1/2 teaspoon ground Sichuan pepper, or substitute 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
 Scallions, thinly sliced, for garnish
Instructions
1. Slice each eggplant in half lengthwise, then slice each length into quarters. Cut each
quarter in somewhat substantial, but still bite-sized, cubes (about 1 1/4-inch to 1 1/2-inch
cubes).
2. Prepare the sauce: In a small bowl, mix together the chicken stock, chili bean paste, soy
sauce, rice vinegar, rice wine, sugar, and cornstarch. Set aside.
3. Heat the oil in a wok over high heat until a bead of water sizzles and evaporates on
contact. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil and swirl the pan to coat the base and sides. Add the
eggplants and stir-fry until outsides become golden brown and insides begin to soften,
about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, and Sichuan peppercorn and stir-fry until
fragrant, about 30 seconds. Pour in the sauce mixture and mix well. Simmer for 3 to 4
minutes to allow the eggplant to full cook and the sauce to thicken enough to coat the
back of a spoon. Remove from the heat, plate, and sprinkle scallions on top.
11.

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Sichuan spicy eggplant

 2 (400 grams in total) eggplant, cut to 8-cm (3-inch) sticks (*Footnote 1)

 3 tablespoons Chinkiang vinegar

 1/2 cup peanut oil (or vegetable oil)

10. Serve hot over steamed rice as a main course.

Sichuan Eggplant (Fish-Fragrant Eggplant)

 1 1/2 pounds Asian eggplant

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