Friday, May 7, 2010

Grilled Asian Eggplant with Soy-Ginger Glaze

Featured on Amuse Bouche the blog for the magazine Where Women Cook.





From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...It was gorgeous today. Our morning was really cold, but once the sun burned away the last pockets of fog, the sky remained a beautiful azure for the entire day. It was a perfect day to barbecue, so I fired up the grill and made our first "brick" chicken of the year. I had Asian eggplants in the refrigerator and thought that grilled, they make a perfect accompaniment to the chicken. They happened to be the long, slender dark purple Japanese variety. Japanese and the lavender Chinese eggplant have thinner skins, fewer seeds and a milder taste than the globe eggplant that is used in Italian cooking. The chicken was mildly spiced, so I decided to pair it with a full-flavored Asian-style grilled eggplant. This is very easy to do. All that's required is to halve them lengthwise and baste them with a teriyaki sauce as they cook. The insides become creamy as the outer surfaces caramelize. My only caution, should you decide to make them, is to watch the heat of the grill. If it is too hot the eggplants will burn before they cook through. If you are looking for something different to serve with plain grilled meat or poultry, you might want to give these a try. They are not the prettiest girl on the block, so when we have guests I roll the slices rather than serve them flat on a plate. Here's the recipe.

Grilled Asian Eggplant with Soy-Ginger Glaze
...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, courtesy of Willams Sonoma, Savoring America

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons sake
2 tablespoons mirin
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon peeled, finely minced ginger
2 teaspoons Asian sesame oil
1 pound Asian eggplants
2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds
2 scallions, white and tender green, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise

Directions:

1) To make the sauce: Combine soy sauce, sake, mirin, sugar and ginger in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Simmer for 1 minute. Let cool. Stir in sesame oil.
2) Prepare a medium-hot fire in a grill.
3) Cut eggplants lengthwise into slices about 1/4-inch thick. Brush one side of each slice with the soy mixture. Grease the surface of the grill. Place slices, glaze side down on grill. Cook, turning frequently and basting often with sauce until slices are tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer slices to a serving platter. Roll into a cylinder if desired. Garnish with sesame seeds and scallions. Serve immediately. Yield: 4 servings.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Asian Bean Sprout Salad - One Perfect Bite
Asian-Style Carrot Salad - One Perfect Bite
Green Beans with Sesame-Miso Sauce - One Perfect Bite

59 comments :

Jeannie said...

Oh my! that looks so good! Eggplants are one of my favourite vegetables. I usually add them in curries or stirfry with chillies and dried shrimps.

penny aka jeroxie said...

Love the way you have planted the eggplant. And the flavours will be amazing.

Lucie said...

This is great! I don't use eggplants that often, but I'm looking forward to trying this out.

Ana Powell said...

Oh my God, awesome recipe.
Loved your pictures, you are creative.
Well done.
Have a great weekend x

Diane said...

This one is bookmarked for when my eggplants is ready in the garden. Yummy. Diane

Angie's Recipes said...

OMG! Mary, the eggplant looks so awesome. In China, there's also white eggplants, which taste even better!And I love the pictures you took!

Unknown said...

So tasty ~ and what a lovely presentation!

♥Sugar♥Plum♥Fairy♥ said...

Gorgeous weather,aint it!!
i love the ideas that come along, id love to roll it too:-)
The marinade is gorgeous and perfectly go2 for Meats too, bookmarked Mary,along with lods of other deliciousness!
The pic sure is givin me a delicious cravings here,and am loving it:-)))

Allie and Pattie said...

What a fabulous idea to baste with teriyaki! I can't wait to try this- I LOVE eggplant
xoxo Pattie

Unknown said...

Lovely recipe Mary. I'm thinking this will be tonight's dinner if I can get some nice eggplants (aubergine here in the UK).
Have a nice day. Michael.

Martha said...

I love the Asian eggplants -- we both love eggplant and this seems like a good recipe especially with a simple grilled meat. Can't wait until we find some of these gems at the Farmer's Market.

Robyn said...

What a different way to do aubergine... I always play it safe and prepare it in a Mediterranean way, but this certainly looks delicious enough to try. Thanks

Robyn said...

That look delicious - I normally play it safe and go the Mediterranean route when preparing brinjal, but this looks delicious...

Deana Sidney said...

Mary, you read my mind! I have one of those eggplants in the fridge and I was wondering, hmmm what to do with it??? Presto... great recipe! Thanks!

Jaynie said...

My husband likes eggplant, so I'm always looking for new ways to serve it. I will definitely try this. This looks so good.

Julie said...

Beautiful! Amazing color! I love eggplant and am always looking for new recipes. Thanks for sharing a good one!!

Rachana said...

Wow!!!! Mary, the eggplant looks gorgeous! Loved your clicks.
Have a great weekend!

Debbi Does Dinner Healthy said...

These are so pretty! I want to eat more eggplant this summer!

Valerie Harrison (bellini) said...

I can't wait to get to Williams and Sonoma the next time I am in the States. I am alsways looking for new ideas for the BBQ so this fits perfectly.

Cathy said...

This looks so delicious, Mary. I am a huge eggplant fan and love all the wonderful flavors you've combined here. This is printed and ready to make on Sunday.

Have a good weekend and a very Happy Mother's Day.

My Little Space said...

Sounds like you're having a lovely day! The eggplant looks so tasty and the pictures are stunning. Yeah, I prefer the one with less seeds. They taste better!
Have a great weekend and wishing you Happy Mother's Day! LOL
Blessings, Kristy

Kim said...

You can tell that your eggplant is just loaded with flavor. Glad to hear you all enjoyed the day!

PranisKitchen said...

Mary i can't believe what a delicious grilled eggplants..the soy ginger sauce is really good ..loved it pal
Eye catching pictures..awesome

Sue said...

I hope this recipe puts an end to bottled teriyaki sauces forever! Just gorgeous, Mary.

Amelia PS said...

Hello Mary!
First timer on your blog (thanks for visiting mine)! :)
I am already a follower: love it.
I also make a very similar eggplant dish (I add miso paste to my sauce, gives it a nice umame flavor).
I will be back!!!
Amelia from www.ztastylife.com

Sonia ~ Nasi Lemak Lover said...

Wow, this is good, must try one day. Happy Mother's day to you Mary!

Claudia said...

Soy and ginger wins hearts and minds.I also love the Japanese eggplant - delicate with no bitterness. A beautiful preparation.

Arlette said...

These look gorgeous. Love eggplant I used to eat it raw when I was a kid...

A Canadian Foodie said...

I have been missing you again! It seems I just turn my head - and when I get back to you - and I try to once a week - there is so much I have missed. I would love it if you could find a subscribe by e-mail plug in for readers like me to get your new posts in my mail box. These slivers of eggplant look like each is PACKED with flavour. Talk about "one perfect bite"! And, the Parker House rolls! In Boston last year, I learned the history of these. My mother would make them when I was a child. YOurs look perfect...
Every time I stop by, I am deeply inspired, and I would love to receive your posts in my mailbox. I never get to my readers in time.
:)
Valerie

Mary Bergfeld said...

Robyn, I was unable to link back to your blog. I just wanted to say hello and welcome you here. I hope you'll visit often. Blessings...Mary

DailyChef said...

Such a great recipe. Your picture is so amazing, as usual. I've never done the soy-ginger glaze before, but it looks like it will be great on the eggplant.

Anna said...

my mouth is watering...and I love eggplant, I put them everywear...on pizza, pasta, with cheese, with salad...lovely recipe. I bookmark also this one! sounds good, thanks a lot. Ciao!

Pam said...

Mary, your dish looks so delicious! I love eggplant and just wish I could convince my husband of the same. I can only imagine how tasty this must be. Hope you're having a wonderful day! It's a little rainy and chilly here. Happy cooking!

Lindsay B said...

I had to comment! I just discovered your blog and got lost in your words for over an hour. I think your stories are fantastic, your food looks fabulous and you seem so sweet and true. I feel as if I know and care about you already!! :) Thanks for sharing your travels and food discoverys. I've loved expoloring your site and will continue to come back for more.

Joanne said...

Eggplant prepared in this way, with the sweet/salty thing going on, is my favorite way to eat it. Good choice of side dish!

a moderate life said...

Mary, I wanted to thank you for your visit to my blog and your extremely kind words of praise and encouragement! I love your spot and am going to follow you! I also am glad I came today because I enjoy asian inspired vegetables! My dad was born and raised in china and so we do our best to make him tasty dishes that remind him of home! Happy friday!
http://www.amoderatelife.blogspot.com/

Puna said...

This looks like the perfect thing for dinner tonight.

Katherine Roberts Aucoin said...

Eggplant is always on my mind! This sounds terrific and sounds like this will be on my weekend menu!

Mother's Day Blessings to you, Mary!

Mary | Deep South Dish said...

I love grilled eggplant but usually only do salt, pepper and olive oil, but I sure love a soy/ginger blend. What a nice change! Happy Weekend!

tasteofbeirut said...

These eggplants look very tempting! I have never used this type of dressing before, I would love to try!

T.W. Barritt at Culinary Types said...

My eggplants always look anemic or are unevenly cooked. I aspire to the rich, deep glossy look you have here. it looks delicious.

Miss Meat and Potatoes said...

Mary you always make fantastic, gorgeous food but this one really speaks to me! There is a great takeout place in NYC called Mooncake Foods that has the BEST marinated eggplant. I scoured tons of recipes trying to recreate it at home and was always disappointed - I think I wasn't adding enough sugar. I can't wait to get back home (in LA for work for the month) and make this. Thanks SO much for sharing!

http://meatandpotatoesfoodie.blogspot.com/

Unknown said...

Mary that looks wonderful!! I love eggplant soooo much

Penny said...

They look perfect to me. So glad you have good weather finely.

Biren said...

I cook this variety of eggplant often. This dish is wonderful with rice.

Happy Mother's Day! Have a great weekend.

Jen_from_NJ said...

I just love eggplant and it sounds delicious with Asian flavors. Great idea to roll them up - lovely presentation!

Martha said...

Mary --

Yes, that creamed spinach is better than Ina's!!! But it has LOADS of cream cheese, lots of cream and lots and lots of parm -- it is plate licking good!

It will be a holiday dish at Linderhof -- way too much of the above to be on the menu regularly!

Devaki said...

Mary, how wonderful! The eggplant is so succulent and the flavors...wow! I don't think I'd be able to stop popping these in my mouth!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY

Ciao, Devaki @ weavethousanndflavors

The Cooking Ninja said...

Those looks amazing and delicious. I love egg plant. I wish I can get Asian Eggplant here. :( I miss all the curries and spicy dishes I can cook with it.

Deb in Hawaii said...

I loved grilled Japanese eggplant and I love how you have rolled them--I never thought to do that. ;-)

Elena said...

Oh this is so good - YUM.

ciao,
Elena :)

Alicia Foodycat said...

Your photography is so beautiful! I never manage to capture that perfect purple colour of the eggplant. And the flavours sound magnificent!

Needful Things said...

Looks so delicious - eggplant is one of my favorite vegetables! You've now made me drool at the thought of eggplant glazed with ginger!

SKIP TO MALOU said...

mary,
thanks for stopping by at my site... im glad i found yours, and im reading your posts and yeah i have to press the follow button...
this eggplant dish looks divine.. the pictures are so crisp i could almost taste it...

malou

Lori said...

oh my, this is totally drool worthy.

Kerstin said...

What a lovely way to prepare eggplant - it looks delicious!

Anusce@Ciao-Chow said...

I love love eggplant and may I say those pictures are amazing! I feel I can smell the eggplant from my screen!
Thank you for the recipe!

Baking is my Zen...sweet nibbles for the soul said...

Looks mouth-watering!

Carmen

Traineeship said...

My sister doesn't eat eggplant but thanks to your recipe I think I can make her eat it.

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