Soy Glazed Aubergines
Recipes
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Soy Glazed Aubergines

Often stir-fried or steamed, Korean aubergines retain a beautiful thin skin with a delicate chewy texture. More commonly found Western aubergines tend to be larger and have thicker skin with spongier flesh – so frying the aubergines will help to soften the tougher exterior. Don’t cut the aubergines too small as, once salted and squeezed, they will lose some volume. Salting of the aubergines here isn’t to remove any bitterness but to remove the excess moisture in order to achieve the right texture. It also prevents the aubergines from getting completely soaked in oil when frying.
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Serves
4
Total Time
35 Minutes
Ingredients
For the aubergines
2 aubergines, about 600g, quartered lengthways & cut into large bite-size chunks
½ tsp of sea salt flakes
3 tbsp of potato flour
Vegetable oil, for frying
For the glaze
3 tbsp of water
2 tbsp of mirin
2 tbsp of soy sauce
1 tbsp of jocheong (Korean rice syrup)
1 tbsp of cider vinegar
2 tsp of golden granulated sugar
½ tsp of freshly cracked black pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 mild red chilli, finely chopped
To finish
½ tsp of toasted white sesame seeds
20g of toasted peanuts, roughly chopped
Method
Step 1

Prepare the aubergines by removing the tops. Quarter them lengthways, then cut each quartered pieces into large bite-sized chunks. Transfer the cut aubergines into a colander and combine well with the salt. Place the colander over the bowl or sink and let it sit for 30 minutes then, without rinsing, gently squeeze the aubergines to extract the moisture.

Step 2

Meanwhile, combine all the ingredients for the glaze in a bowl. Set aside. Put the potato flour in a bowl or large reusable plastic bag. Add the salted aubergines and coat them generously by tossing or shaking with the top sealed, if you’re using the bag. Let it sit for a couple of minutes. Prepare a cooling rack set over a roasting tray.

Step 3

Fill a large, heavy-based saucepan with vegetable oil deep enough to submerge the aubergines but not fill the pan more than three-quarters full. Heat the oil to 180°C-185°C (356°F-365°F).

Step 4

Gently lower a few of the aubergine pieces into the oil so they have plenty of room to fry and don’t reduce the oil temperature too much. Fry for 3 minutes until they are golden and crispy on all sides. Transfer them onto the cooling rack – I found a wired rack much more effective, as fried aubergines resting on kitchen paper tend to stick. Continue to cook in batches.

Step 5

Put the glaze mix into a large sauté pan or wok over a high heat and bring to a rapid boil. Cook for about 2 minutes until the sauce has thickened to a loose syrup consistency. Toss in the fried aubergines to coat them evenly with the glaze. Cook for a further minute until the aubergines appear very glossy; you should also have a little bit of sauce left in the pan.

Step 6

To serve, stir in the sesame seeds and chopped peanuts. Eat immediately while still warm.

The Rice Table by Su Scott  (£27, Quadrille) Photography by Toby Scott

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