Spicy Miso Eggplant with Trumpet Mushrooms and Ginger Garlic Sauce

By Heidi Allison

This recipe is a modern take on the classic Japanese eggplant dish, Nasu Dengaku.  Traditionally, Japanese eggplants are cut in half, scored into a crosscut, brushed with a sweet and savory miso sauce, then grilled over a charcoal bichon fire, creating a hearty side dish with an addictive sweet, salty, and smoky flavor profile. Served hot over steamed Japanese rice as a main, or solo as a side, this iconic dish is legendary bar food.

This version slashes the cooking time for Nasu Dengaku by quickly oil-poaching the eggplant, which removes any bitter notes, and creates a luscious, creamy, custard-like texture in the finished dish. Chilled overnight in the refrigerator, the ginger flavor comes to the forefront, while the sweet notes from the fermented rice wine, mirin, and white sugar are tempered by the dry sake.  The white miso paste lends a subtle savory and slightly nutty flavor to the mix. Best to avoid the more pronounced red miso in this dish.

A versatile dish, it can be eaten either hot or cold. When eaten cold, it shines ladled over silken organic tofu, topped with slivered green onions, minced cilantro, and toasted Goma (aka sesame seeds). It can be served hot- right from the wok, with a side of room temperature steamed Japanese rice for a more filling meal. Although a simple recipe, several caveats make this dish work: choose male eggplants, which have fewer seeds and tend to be less bitter. You can identify a male eggplant by its shape; males are slimmer and have a round dimple on their bottom side. Female fruits have a rounder shape, and the dimple is elongated.  And it's best to use a neutral oil for poaching; non-GMO, organic canola oil works better than olive, avocado, or corn oils.

Spicy Miso Eggplant with Trumpet Mushrooms and Ginger Garlic Sauce
Serves: 4 as a side; 2 as a main

Ingredients
2 cups non-GMO canola oil, reserve 1 tablespoon after frying mushrooms and eggplant
3 Japanese eggplants, stem removed and cut into 4 wedges lengthwise
6 trumpet mushrooms, cut into wedges lengthwise
1 1/2 tsp. Sichuan peppercorns
1 tsp. red chili flakes
1 heaping tsp. grated garlic, about 5-6 large cloves

Preparation

Place oil into a wok or deep skillet and heat on medium-high heat till shimmering; about 350º F. Add half the eggplant wedges and sauté till soft and golden brown, turning once, after about 4-5 minutes. With tongs, remove the eggplant to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain off excess oil and set aside.

Add the trumpet mushrooms to the hot oil and fry till soft and golden brown, about 4 minutes. Remove to a paper plate and set aside. 

Remove one tablespoon of canola oil from the wok and place it into a medium-size nonstick sauté pan. Add garlic, Sichuan peppercorns, and chili flakes, and briefly sauté on medium heat for 1 minute or until fragrant. 

Place the eggplant and trumpet mushrooms in the pan and toss several times until coated. 

Remove seasoned eggplant and trumpet mushrooms to the serving plate. Drizzle ginger garlic sauce (recipe below) over eggplant and mushrooms and around the perimeter of the plate, then garnish with sliced green onion tops, minced cilantro, and toasted white sesame seeds right before serving.  

Ginger Garlic Sauce
1 Tbsp. sake
¼ cup mirin 
1/8 cup sugar
1 heaping tsp. grated fresh ginger root-about a 2-inch peeled piece
1 ½ Tbsp. soy sauce
 ¼ tsp. sea salt
1 Tbsp. white miso

Preparation

In a small saucepan, add all the ingredients and bring to a boil over medium-high heat for about 1 minute, or until alcohol boils off and the sauce has slightly thickened. Pull the sauté pan off the heat and whisk into the sauce until incorporated into the sauce.