I was inspired to make eggplant this way after dining from Confluence Restaurant in Carefree. I thought “OH” I can add miso, peanuts, sesame seeds and chili to eggplant. This plate is similar but I added the mushrooms. This recipe made a little more miso sauce than I needed but if your eggplant is bigger you might need it all. This comes out very impressive and delicious. The crunchy peanuts really add a lot of interest here.

Ingredients for around 4 servings

1 medium eggplant – cut in four long slices (or you can use any eggplant you happen to get. There are Japanese, a bunch of other eggplants or my favorite the white eggplants) (If your eggplant is shaped different cut however you think is best.) I lightly salted the eggplant and let them sweat in a colander and over a bowl for a 1/2 hour. I then rinsed them so the eggplant wouldn’t be too salty because it always gets too salty if I don’t.

1/2 cup low sodium miso (Asiana Market sells it)

2 garlic cloves – either ground to paste or microplane

2 Tablespoons date syrup

1 Tablespoon rice wine vinegar

8 squirts of extra virgin olive oil (I’m guessing maybe 2 teaspoons)

4 jarred sweet/hot cherry peppers – cut in slices (Confluence used Fresno peppers here)

4 Tablespoons peanuts

4 teaspoons scallions – sliced thin

4 pinches sesame seeds

1 – 3.5 package enoki mushrooms – cut bottom with dirt off but try to leave part of where the mushrooms are attached to a base

2 oz unsalted butter

1/2 cup cornstarch

2 pinches bonito flakes

piment d espelette – for finishing

Directions

Set oven to 350 degrees F.

Eggplant depending on what you are doing with it usually comes out better if you salt it and let it sweat for at least 30 minutes…But I find that it always makes the eggplant too salty for me so I rinse it off…(I KNOW that you are not suppose to rinse the eggplant…..but I hate too much salt so I do anyway). You can do that if you want or not…..Salting and sweating the eggplant helps it to reduce bitterness. I usually only salt a regular eggplant.

Now you make the miso glaze. In a small bowl combine the miso, garlic, date syrup and rice wine vinegar. Set to the side.

The eggplant pieces gets a light spray of olive oil on both sides and goes on a sheet pan in the oven for 30 on the first side.

While the eggplant is in the oven fry up the mushrooms. Get a frypan on medium high heat with the butter. When the butter is melted pinch off a clump of mushrooms and roll then in the cornstarch. Add the mushrooms to the fry pan and fry till golden and flip the mushrooms over. You should be able to fry three or four clumps at a time. Have a pan covered with paper towels for the mushrooms to drain on. Repeat till you are done with the mushrooms.

After 30 minutes the eggplant gets flipped over for 15 minutes on the other side. Then it gets flipped again and brushed with the miso mixture. Add cherry peppers peanuts and sesame seeds. The eggplants go back in the oven for another 15 minutes.

Finish with scallions, bonito flakes and a little bit of piment d espelette pepper.

ENJOY! This one is impressive taste-wise and looks-wise.