At the Farmer’s Market this morning they had these nice-looking Chinese Eggplants so I had to get some to make this dish. We had everything else at home except the ground pork. The recipe only calls for 1/2 pound, but you always have to buy a pound. I just freeze the rest for use in meatloaf or meatballs.
We just had this traditional dim sum dish with white rice and some edamame; it was more than enough but you could supplement with some steamed pot sticker or shumai dumplings. Trader Joes has excellent ones.
| Author: Jim Kirkley
Serves: 4 |
Pork Stuffed Chinese Eggplant |
INGREDIENTS
Filling
1/2 pound, ground pork
2 stalks, scallions – finely chopped
1 inch, fresh ginger – peeled and finely chopped
2 teaspoons, soy sauce
1 teaspoon, sesame oil
1 teaspoon, dry sherry
dash, white pepper
2 tablespoons, water
Sauce
1 cup, chicken broth
2 tablespoons, soy sauce
2 tablespoons, dry sherry
2 teaspoons, sesame oil
1 teaspoon, white pepper
2 tablespoons, cornstarch
4 tablespoons, Chicken broth
Eggplant
2 Chinese Eggplants
3 tablespoons, peanut oil
Other
1 teaspoon, cooking oil
1 tablespoon, fermented black bean paste – optional
METHOD
- Mix the filling ingredients together in a bowl. Using a pair of chopsticks or fork, stir mixture quickly in one direction till water has been absorbed and meat becomes paste-like.
- Make the sauce: Combine chicken broth, soy sauce, dry sherry, sesame oil, and white pepper in a small pan and bring to a boil. Combine cornstarch and additional chicken broth in a bowl and whisk to a slurry. Add to sauce mixture and continue to heat until mixture thickens. Keep warm.
- Cut eggplants diagonally into 1 inch thick slices. Make a slit 3/4 of the way into each slice of the eggplant. Carefully open the slit and stuff a heap of filling into each slit. Using chopsticks helps here and if you wet your finger you can press the filling in without getting it stuck on your finger. Press to make sure filling is tight.
- In a large, non-stick frying pan, over medium heat, evenly spread 2 Tbsp of oil. Once oil is hot, add eggplants in one layer. Immediately cover with lid and pan-fry till bottoms turn golden-brown. Flip eggplants over, add 1 more Tbsp oil, cover with lid and pan-fry till other side turns golden-brown. This should take 7-10 minutes in total. Transfer eggplant to a clean plate.
- Add 1 tsp oil to the pan and fry the fermented salted black beans till fragrant if using.
- Reduce heat. Add the sauce and eggplant to the pan and gently spoon sauce over to coat eggplant evenly with the sauce. Sauce should be lightly bubbling. Cover with lid and cook for 2-3 minutes. You are effectively steaming and tenderizing the eggplant.
- Remove lid and allow sauce to thicken to the right consistency. Turn off the heat, transfer to plate and serve hot.
