Aubergine with miso and chinese cabbage
2-4
Serving size
Ingredients
2 medium aubergines
4 tbsp vegetable oil
1 ½ tbsp caster sugar
2 tbsp cooking saké
130g medium red miso
4 tbsp mirin
1 ½ tsp smooth and hot mustard (neri karashi, if you can get it)
1 tbsp lemon juice (or yuzu juice)
4 tbsp tamari
1 tbsp sesame oil
½ Chinese cabbage, core removed and leaves shredded coarsely
100g enoki mushrooms, base cut off
3 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
1 handful picked coriander leaves
Method
- Remove the aubergine stalks, then cut each in two widthways. Cut the fattest half in two lengthways, and cut each half into three wedges; repeat with the thin half, but cut each half into two wedges. Put the wedges skin side down on an oven tray, brush with half the vegetable oil, place under a medium grill and cook for 30 minutes, until soft.
- Meanwhile, prepare the miso. Put the sugar and saké in a saucepan and warm up gently to dissolve the sugar. Add the miso, mirin, mustard and lemon, and over low heat whisk to a smooth paste. Remove one tablespoon from the mix, add tamari to the rest and stir.
- When the aubergine is almost ready, brush liberally with the miso/tamari paste and return to the grill for five minutes, or until the paste begins to bubble.
- Meanwhile, in a wok heat up the remaining vegetable oil and the sesame oil. Throw in the cabbage and stir-fry on a high flame for 30 seconds, just to soften. Stir in the enoki, the reserved miso paste and two tablespoons of sesame seeds, and remove from the heat at once.
- Pile the cabbage inside a shallow bowl and top with aubergine. Sprinkle the aubergine with the remaining sesame seeds and garnish with coriander leaves.