Stuffed Miso Eggplant Recipes

MISO-STUFFED EGGPLANT

Steps:

• In a large steamer, steam the eggplant for 10 to 12 minutes, until very tender. Turn on the broiler.
• Combine the miso and tamari in a small bowl. Make a 1/2-inch-deep lengthwise slit down the eggplants. Spoon 2 tablespoons of miso into each eggplant.
• Place on a baking sheet and slide under the broiler until slightly browned, about 2 to 3 minutes.

STUFFED MISO EGGPLANT (NIKUMISO DENGAKU)

Steps:

• Make the dengaku sauce by whisking together the sugar, sake, and hatcho miso.
• Preheat about 3-inches of oil to 350 F (175 C) in a heavy-bottomed pot.
• Trim the stem end of the eggplants off.
• Use a peeler to peel alternating strips of skin off of the eggplant to create a striped pattern.
• Slice the bottom off of the eggplants, and then cut them in half. The eggplants should stand up relatively straight. If they don't, keep trimming them until they sit flat.
• Use a small spoon to carve the center out of the wide end of each piece of eggplant. Be sure to leave a 1/2-inch border around the sides, as well as at the bottom.
• Use a small spoon to carve out the center of each eggplant to make cups, but leave about 2cm of flesh on the sides and bottom.
• Deep fry the eggplant, giving each one a few full turns in the oil to set the color of the skin before adding the next one. They'll tend to float, so continue turning them, so they cook through evenly.
• When the eggplant can be easily pierced with a skewer, transfer them to a paper towel-lined rack with the carved side facing down to drain.
• To make the nikumiso, saute the ginger with a teaspoon of vegetable oil until it's fragrant.
• Add the ground pork and use a spatula to crumble it up until it is mostly cooked through.
• If you have a lot of oil pooling in your pan, use some dry paper towels to soak up the extra grease.
• Add the dengaku sauce and stir-fry until there is very little liquid remaining, and it no longer smells like alcohol.
• Stuff the fried eggplant with the nikumiso and garnish with chopped scallions.

STUFFED MISO EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Slice each eggplant in half lengthwise, starting at the stem. Use a spoon to scoop out the inside of the eggplant, leaving a little less than 1/4 inch of the flesh around the edges. Coarsely chop the flesh you scooped out, then place it in a large bowl. Transfer the eggplant shells to the baking sheet.
• Preheat a large frying pan over medium-high heat. While the pan is heating, add the chopped onion and garlic to the mixing bowl and stir to combine with the eggplant. Swirl the oil into the preheated pan and add the eggplant mixture. Sauté for 3 minutes, then add the walnuts and cook for one minute more. Stir in the miso, tamari, and mirin and allow to cook for another minute.
• Fill the eggplant shells with the eggplant-walnut mixture, dividing evenly between the shells. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the eggplant shell is tender and cooked through.
• While the eggplant is in the oven, prepare the miso dressing and tomato salad. In a small bowl combine the honey, miso, rice vinegar, and mustard. Whisk until combined; set aside.
• In a medium bowl, toss together the tomatoes, basil, green onions, and salt. Set aside.
• Top each eggplant with a quarter of the salad mixture and drizzle the miso dressing over the top.

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.