Eggplant, Szechwan Style

Locale: China

Source: Charmaine Solomon, Mastering the Art of Chinese Cooking [p. 55]

Serves: 6

Ingredients

  • 2 eggplants, about 1 lb. each
  • peanut oil, for deep frying

Aromatics:

  • 1 tsp finely grated ginger
  • 1 tsp finely chopped garlic

Sauce:

  • 4 tbs dark soy sauce
  • 2 tbs vinegar
  • 1 tbs rice wine
  • 2 tbs sugar
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 1 tsp chilli oil (optional)
  • 1-2 tsp sweet chilli sauce (optional)

Steps

  1. Cut eggplant in half lengthwise; cut halves into wedges up to 1 inch thick (usually 6-8 around; cut wedges into 1.5- to 2-inch lengths.

  2. Heat oil for deep frying, to 375F. Deep fry eggplant wedges until cooked through, outside dark golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

  3. Heat 1 tbs oil in a sautee pan. Add aromatics and swish around a few seconds. until fragrant. Add sauce mixture, then add eggplant. Stir fry until hot and sauce coats eggplant. Serve warm or cold.

Notes

  1. Recipe calls for 2 cups oil to deep fry. I use a deep fryer, whatever is in there, and adjust the batches accordingly.

  2. Adjust the spice level to taste. I use a little more than 1/4 tsp of Chef Chow's Szechuan hot bean paste.

Log

  1. 2015-06-18: