Sischuan Spicy Eggplant

 

"It tastes just right." Be still my beating heart! It is intimidating to cook Chinese food for my husband, raised by a Chinese mother who can cook the socks off anyone I know. For him to tell me it tastes just right is gratifying to the Nth degree.  It's truly one of the finer things in life.

This particular recipe is modified from a Williams-Sonoma cookbook (found it on clearance years ago at a Ross store) called Savoring China. I originally made it when I had an eggplant in the refrigerator, and no distinct plan. I also had ground pork, garlic, and tofu.


Don't let the tofu scare you. It used to scare me until I realized that it tastes super boring unless there is a great sauce on it. It is all about the sauce.  Tofu is an inexpensive protein, lasts for quite a while in the refrigerator, and gives you a good amount of calcium and iron!


And don't let the "spicy" scare you. The spice is all in the sauce ingredients you use; you can control the heat, and I'll tell you where to adapt the sauce. Ready? Let's go!


(Note: This recipe is done in 2-3 phases, which you can think of as annoying because you have to go into the kitchen twice, or as a blessing because you can get all the cutting done ahead of time. 

Sischuan Spicy Eggplant


Eggplant, Tofu and Pork stir fry with garlic, ginger, and Hoisin sauce


Ingredients:


Stir fry:
1 medium eggplant, or 4 small Asian eggplants (about 1 pound total weight)
1 Tablespoon salt
1 cup (8 ounces) vegetable oil
~~
1 14 ounce package firm or extra firm tofu
1/2 pound ground pork
1/4 cup (about 6 cloves) minced garlic
2 Tablespoons minced fresh ginger
~~
Sauce:
2 Tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
3-4 Tablespoons vinegar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
3/4 teaspoon sugar
sauce, part 2:
1/4 cup chicken or beef stock, or water
1 teaspoon corn starch
~~
Garnish:
1/2 cup chopped green onions (white and green parts) (optional)
1/4 cup chopped cilantro (optional)


Serve over hot rice.

Method:

You may use the thin Asian eggplants, or the standard water-balloon-shaped eggplants.  Last week Kroger had these for $1 each, so I picked one up.

First, slice (peel, if desired), and cube the eggplant into bite-sized pieces. 

Bite-sized as in, the size of eggplant piece you would like to have in your mouth, rather than something that can fit in your mouth.  Remember, the skin can be somewhat leathery.  

I chose to peel half the eggplant, and left the skin on the other half.

Then, cube it into bite-sized pieces, and place it in a colander. 

Sprinkle the eggplant with the salt, and let it rest for 30 minutes.  While it rests, you can proceed to the next steps, or peruse unread blogs.  I'll be right here.

The salt draws out any bitterness in the eggplant.

Tofu is an unsung hero of Asian cuisine.  It is inexpensive, healthy, and flavorless.  The flavorlessness is what got it into trouble in American cuisine, because it tastes like bland vegetables.  Besides, who wants to eat something otherwise called "bean curd"?  But its bland flavor is what allows it to be added to just about anything without changing the taste significantly.

 Cube the tofu.
(I tend to start cutting it while it's in the box, then roll it out onto a paper towel to make the last cuts.)

Let the tofu drain, also.  Here are the eggplant and the tofu hanging out in the sink together, getting acquainted.

If you're like me, you forgot to defrost the ground pork until just now.  Get that going.

The original recipe only calls for 1/4 pound, but with a carnivore for a husband, there's no point in putting only 3 ounces of meat in a meal.  Even if he was raised on tofu.

After 30 minutes, thoroughly rinse the eggplant, and pat it dry with paper towels.  
It is ready to go in its oil bath. 

Heat about a cup of oil over high heat, until the oil starts to ripple.

If you want to reduce the amount of oil, you can, but it will take a little longer to cook the eggplant and you will have to stir it more often, which may cause it to begin to disintegrate.

Once the oil is hot, toss in the eggplant. 
Stir it for about a minute, then turn down the heat and let it cook for about 5-6 minutes; long enough for it to be sufficiently cooked, but before it starts to discolor and fall apart.

 It sizzles beautifully. 

Here it is getting darker, toward the end of the cooking process.  The purple and green are coming out.

Remove from the heat, then drain the eggplant and the oil into the original colander, and allow it to drain for another 30 minutes.  This is where you can start the rice, finish chopping, whip up the sauce, and set the table or make a side, like sauteed kale (I promise I'll post my easy recipe and link to it soon!).

Dice the garlic. 

Did you know that I love garlic?  That's why 1/4 cup of garlic is delicious to me.  You don't have to use this much.  The first time I made this, I only used about 3 cloves and it tasted fine.

Also, I keep a ginger root in the freezer, a la Rachael Ray, and keep a peeled, fresh ginger root in my freezer.  I have no idea when I bought this one, but it's been my companion for quite a while. 

As it was still frozen, I really couldn't chop it; rather, I nearly shaved pieces off the ginger root.

 Dice it finely, so it's about the same size as the garlic pieces.

I found these sauces in the "ethnic" section of the grocery store, so they shouldn't be too hard to find--
therefore you, too, can make this dish!

The Hoisin sauce is mildly sweet.  The soy sauce adds salty flavor.  The sesame oil gives it a distinctive Asian flavor--be careful because even a drop goes a long way.  Sugar reduces the acidity.  Vinegar takes the sweet down a notch and gives it a little more interest and bite.  LaYu (hot chili oil) makes it spicy--just add a drop or two, if you're interested in heat.  Or substitute a pinch of crushed pepper flakes.  

Mix up the sauce.

The original recipe used unusual spices, and gave it a lot of heat.  This version is tangy, but not what most people would call "spicy" or "hot." 

Taste the sauce before you pour it in.  The adjustments you will make will probably come in the form of adding more vinegar or more sugar.

Add oil (if necessary) to the pan to have about 2 teaspoons.

Stir fry the ginger, garlic, and ground pork, until the pork is cooked.

Add the eggplant and tofu.  The eggplant will start to fall apart, and that is OK.

Pour the sauce into the pork, eggplant, and tofu.  Stir and let it cook for a minute.

Mix up the broth and cornstarch mixture; you can use the same cup. 

Then add the cornstarch and broth to thicken the sauce. 

Stir gently and cook for about 1-2 minutes.

If you choose to garnish, here is where you sprinkle the chopped cilantro and/or green onions over the top.  I did not have either on hand, so it is not as colorful as it could have been.

There you have it!  Sischuan Eggplant is delicious over rice, and tonight I served it with sauteed kale. 

I am going to try to post recipes more often, and I have several other authentic Chinese dishes to share.  Please check back for new ones!

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Sischuan Spicy Eggplant

Eggplant, Tofu and Pork stir fry with garlic, ginger, and Hoisin sauce

Ingredients:

Stir fry:

1 medium eggplant, or 4 small Asian eggplants (about 1 pound total weight)

1 Tablespoon salt

1 cup (8 ounces) vegetable oil

~~

1 14 ounce package firm or extra firm tofu

1/2 pound ground pork

1/4 cup (about 6 cloves) minced garlic

2 Tablespoons minced fresh ginger

~~

Sauce:

2 Tablespoons hoisin sauce

2 Tablespoons soy sauce

3-4 Tablespoons vinegar

1 teaspoon sesame oil

3/4 teaspoon sugar

sauce, part 2:

1/4 cup chicken or beef stock, or water

1 teaspoon corn starch

~~

Garnish:

1/2 cup chopped green onions (white and green parts) (optional)

1/4 cup chopped cilantro (optional)

Serve over hot rice.

Method: 

Cube (and peel, if desired) eggplant, and place in colander.  Sprinkle with salt, and allow it to rest for 30 minutes.

Cube tofu, pat dry with paper towels.

Heat oil in wok or 4 quart saucepan over high heat, until oil ripples.

Rinse eggplant thoroughly, and pat dry with paper towels.

Carefully place eggplant in oil, stirring gently for 1-2 minutes.  Reduce heat and cook for 5-6 minutes.

Drain eggplant and oil into colander over sink.  Let rest for another 30 minutes, up to 4 hours.

Dice garlic and ginger.

Heat 2 teaspoons oil in pan over medium heat.

Add ginger, garlic, and ground pork, stirring until pork is cooked, about 2 minutes.

Mix together sauce ingredients, adjusting to taste.

Add eggplant and tofu to pan with pork, stirring gently.  The eggplant will start to fall apart here.

Pour sauce into pan with eggplant, etc.

Dissolve cornstarch into broth, then add to eggplant, etc., to thicken the sauce.  Stir for 30-60 seconds.  Add the green onions, if using.

Serve immediately over rice or noodles.  Garnish, if desired, with chopped cilantro.