Miso Glazed Eggplant (Nasu Dengaku)
Miso glazed eggplant is our new "go to" when we don't have much time to cook, or when we just feel like a quick meal. We always order it whenever we dine at a Japanese restaurant, and a couple of weeks ago we decided to try making it ourselves. This recipe doesn't include sake, like the traditional recipe, but not everyone will have sake in their pantry and we don't expect anyone (ourselves included) to run out and buy a bottle of sake for this dish. But please do, if you want to!
Miso and eggplant is a total match made in heaven. There is just something magnificently umami about this dish - the Japanese sure know what they're doing with this. I love that we can whip this up so quickly and it just packs a huge flavour bomb.
Ingredients
2 eggplants
1/3 cup gluten free miso paste
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup gluten free mirin
Method
Preheat your oven to 200C on fan force and grill.
Combine miso paste, brown sugar and mirin in a small bowl. Whisk using a fork.
Bring large frying pan to medium to high heat with a good splash of olive oil.
Cut your eggplant in half and score the inside of the eggplant with a sharp knife in a crisscross pattern. Avoid cutting the skin; it's ok if this happens but it just means your miso glaze will spill out after grilling it in the oven.
Place one eggplant skin side down into the frying pan. Once the skin is charred, turn the eggplant over and cover with a lid until the inside of the eggplant wilts down and you get a nice dark char on the inside of the eggplant. Set aside and repeat for the next eggplant.
Place eggplant on a sheet pan and brush the miso glaze over the inside of the eggplants. Don't be shy, brush a generous amount on top.
Place the eggplants under the grill for 3 to 5 minutes, or until you see the glaze bubble rapidly and caramelise.
The eggplants will be super tender, so use a spatula and tongs to plate them.
And as always, enjoy!
