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Yummiest Chinese Eggplant
Oct. 3rd, 2006 12:22 pmWay back, when I decided I needed to learn how to cook, my parents bought me a cookbook:
The Good Food of Szechuan, by Robert Delfs.
It was perfect - I learned how to use a small number of ingredients to create incredibly tasty food. I learned to chop, and later to improvise using similar seasonings.
Since we've gotten our new, high-powered stove we've been cooking more wok-based foods and this was the first cookbook I pulled out. For the last two nights we've made this:
Eggplant with Yu-Xiang Sauce
4-8 Asian eggplants, about 1 lb.
1/4 lb. pork tenderloin
2 scallions
1 handful finely chopped ginger
1 handful finely chopped garlic
1-2 T hot bean sauce
Seasonings:
2 T soy sauce
1 t sugar
1/2 C chicken stock
2 t sesame oil
1 T cornstarch mixed with 2 Tbsps. water
3/4 C cooking oil
Cut the eggplant into 3-inch long strips as thick as your little finger, salt them and pat dry after 10 minutes. Meanwhile cut the pork into small pieces, at most 1/4" on a side, chop the scallions into small pieces, and chop the garlic and ginger as finely as possible (a food processor works well). Mix the seasonings in a small bowl.
Heat 1/2 cup of the oil in a wok until very hot. Add the eggplant and turn the heat down to medium. Cook, stirring frequently, until the eggplant strips are soft and moist. Remove them from the wok with a slotted spoon and drain. Now heat 3 more Tbsps. of the oil in the wok until very hot. Add the pork, ginger, garlic and hot bean sauce. Cook until the red color of the bean sauce begins to be absorbed by the other ingredients. Add the Seasonings, stir briefly, and then add the precooked eggplant.
Cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid begins to disappear. Add the scallions and sesame oil. Stir while adding the cornstarch and water mixture. When the sauce has thickened and begins to adhere to the eggplant strips, remove to a serving dish and serve immediately, with sticky rice and cold beer.
Simply amazing. Easier than it looks - I use a chopper like this:
for chopping the garlic and ginger. We've even started buying containers of pre-peeled garlic from the big korean supermarket.
We might even have it again tonight....
The Good Food of Szechuan, by Robert Delfs.
It was perfect - I learned how to use a small number of ingredients to create incredibly tasty food. I learned to chop, and later to improvise using similar seasonings.
Since we've gotten our new, high-powered stove we've been cooking more wok-based foods and this was the first cookbook I pulled out. For the last two nights we've made this:
Eggplant with Yu-Xiang Sauce
4-8 Asian eggplants, about 1 lb.
1/4 lb. pork tenderloin
2 scallions
1 handful finely chopped ginger
1 handful finely chopped garlic
1-2 T hot bean sauce
Seasonings:
2 T soy sauce
1 t sugar
1/2 C chicken stock
2 t sesame oil
1 T cornstarch mixed with 2 Tbsps. water
3/4 C cooking oil
Cut the eggplant into 3-inch long strips as thick as your little finger, salt them and pat dry after 10 minutes. Meanwhile cut the pork into small pieces, at most 1/4" on a side, chop the scallions into small pieces, and chop the garlic and ginger as finely as possible (a food processor works well). Mix the seasonings in a small bowl.
Heat 1/2 cup of the oil in a wok until very hot. Add the eggplant and turn the heat down to medium. Cook, stirring frequently, until the eggplant strips are soft and moist. Remove them from the wok with a slotted spoon and drain. Now heat 3 more Tbsps. of the oil in the wok until very hot. Add the pork, ginger, garlic and hot bean sauce. Cook until the red color of the bean sauce begins to be absorbed by the other ingredients. Add the Seasonings, stir briefly, and then add the precooked eggplant.
Cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid begins to disappear. Add the scallions and sesame oil. Stir while adding the cornstarch and water mixture. When the sauce has thickened and begins to adhere to the eggplant strips, remove to a serving dish and serve immediately, with sticky rice and cold beer.
Simply amazing. Easier than it looks - I use a chopper like this:
for chopping the garlic and ginger. We've even started buying containers of pre-peeled garlic from the big korean supermarket.
We might even have it again tonight....
