Spiced Ground Beef And Grilled Japanese Eggplants With Maple Syrup Sauce Recipes

GRILLED MISO GLAZED JAPANESE EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Preheat grill to medium (grill side, not hot plate) or a heavy based pan over medium heat. It's important only to use medium heat because otherwise the eggplant will burn before it cooks through.
• Combine the Miso Glaze ingredients and whisk to combine and remove lumps.
• Brush the cut side of each eggplant with the oil. Do it 2 to 3 times to use up all the oil.
• Place the cut side down on the grill and cook for 4 minutes until it turns a light golden brown.
• Turn over, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. While it is cooking, use a spoon to spread a generous amount of Miso Glaze on the cut side of each eggplant.
• Squeeze the side of the eggplant with your tongs (or fingers if you can handle the heat!) to check for doneness - it should be squishy and soft.
• Turn over and grill just for 30 seconds to 1 minute, just to caramelise the glaze.
• Remove from grill, garnish with shallots and sesame seeds and serve immediately.

BULGOGI EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Place the eggplant in a colander set inside the sink. Sprinkle with the salt, toss to combine and let sit for 30 minutes to drain its excess moisture.
• While the eggplant drains, prepare a charcoal grill for direct high-heat cooking, or heat a gas grill to high. In a medium bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, maple syrup, sugar and garlic powder until the sugar is dissolved.
• Carefully grease the grill grate: Use tongs to grip a wadded paper towel dipped in oil and then rub the grates with the oiled towel. In the colander, toss the drained eggplant with 1 tablespoon oil. Place the eggplant on the hot, greased grate. Grill until charred at the edges, 1 to 2 minutes per side. If using a gas grill, close the lid between flips. (See Tip for stovetop method.)
• Add the grilled eggplant to the bowl with the sauce and gently toss, making sure each slice is thinly coated. Arrange the slices with the sauce on a large platter. Crack over some black pepper and garnish with the scallion.

GRILLED JAPANESE EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Place eggplant in a large shallow baking dish. Mix together the soy sauce, sherry, sesame oil, and garlic in a small bowl. Pour the marinade over the eggplant and let marinate at room temperature for 1 hour. Preheat grill. Season the eggplant with salt and pepper to taste and grill on each side for 3 minutes, basting occasionally with the remaining marinade. Serve topped with the toasted sesame seeds.

MISO-GLAZED EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Cut the eggplants in half lengthwise and cut off the stem and calyx. Using the tip of a paring knife, cut an incision down the middle of each half, making sure not to cut through the skin, but cutting down to it. Salt the eggplant lightly and let sit for 10 minutes. Meanwhile preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment and brush with sesame oil.
• Blot the eggplants with paper towels and place, cut side down, on the baking sheets. Roast for 15 to 20 minutes, until the skin is beginning to shrivel and the flesh is soft. Remove from the oven, carefully turn the eggplants over, and preheat the broiler.
• To make the glaze, combine the mirin and sake in the smallest saucepan you have and bring to a boil over high heat. Boil 20 seconds, taking care not to boil off much of the liquid, then turn the heat to low and stir in the miso and the sugar. Whisk over medium-low heat without letting the mixture boil, until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat and whisk in the sesame oil.
• Brush the eggplants with the miso glaze, using up all of the glaze. Place under the broiler, about 2 inches from the heat, and broil for about 1 minute, until the glaze begins to bubble and looks shiny. Remove from the heat. Allow to cool if desired or serve hot. To serve, cut the eggplant halves on the diagonal into 1- to 1-1/2-inch slices.