Cold Barbecued Chinese Eggplant Food

GRILLED JAPANESE EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Place eggplant in a large shallow baking dish. Mix together the soy sauce, sherry, sesame oil, and garlic in a small bowl. Pour the marinade over the eggplant and let marinate at room temperature for 1 hour. Preheat grill. Season the eggplant with salt and pepper to taste and grill on each side for 3 minutes, basting occasionally with the remaining marinade. Serve topped with the toasted sesame seeds.

HOT AND SOUR CHINESE EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Place the eggplant cubes into a large bowl, and sprinkle with salt. Fill with enough water to cover, and let stand for 30 minutes. Rinse well, and drain on paper towels.
• In a small bowl, stir together the soy sauce, red wine vinegar, sugar, chile pepper, cornstarch and chili oil. Set the sauce aside.
• Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Fry the eggplant until it is tender and begins to brown, 5 to 10 minutes. Pour in the sauce, and cook and stir until the sauce is thick and the eggplant is evenly coated. Serve immediately.

CHINESE EGGPLANT IN GARLIC SAUCE

Steps:

• Add 3/4 cup of water and the cornstarch to a medium bowl. Whisk to combine. Add the soy sauce, brown sugar, hoisin, vinegar, Chinese five spice, garlic powder and red pepper flakes. Whisk to combine and set aside.
• To prepare the eggplant, slice the ends off of an eggplant. Slice into thirds horizontally, so you have 3 cylinders. Slice each cylinder lengthwise into quarters, so you have sticks. Repeat with remaining eggplants.
• Heat about 2 tablespoons of oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add half of the eggplant, season with salt and pepper, and cook until charred and softened, about 7 - 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and repeat with remaining half.
• Deglaze the pan with 2 tablespoons of water, scraping up the brown bits on the bottom of the skillet. Pour into the bowl with the eggplant.
• Lower the heat to medium and add about a teaspoon of oil to the skillet. Add the garlic and scallions and sauté for 30 - 60 seconds.
• Give the sauce mixture a good whisk and pour into the skillet. Let simmer until thickened, about 1 - 2 minutes.
• Add the eggplant and chili oil to the skillet. Season with salt. Stir to combine and let cook for 5 - 7 minutes so the eggplant can absorb all the flavors.
• Garnish with sliced scallions.

BARBECUED EGGPLANT CHINESE STYLE

Steps:

• Slice the eggplant in pieces half an inch thick. If using large purple eggplant, sprinkle with salt and allow to drain for one hour. Pat dry with paper towels.
• Using a wok or large frying pan, brown the sesame seeds over medium heat. Remove and set aside. In a small bowl combine the hoisin and soy sauces, sugar and sherry to make a seasoning sauce.
• Steam the eggplant slices over high heat for five minutes. Remove from steamer and allow to cool. Place on a rack and broil for five minutes on each side. Transfer the eggplant to a preheated flat serving dish and arrange the slices in an overlapping pattern.
• Place the wok or skillet over high heat for about one minute. Add the oil and heat until hot but not smoking. Add the scallions and stir-fry for a few seconds.
• Re-stir the seasoning sauce and add it all at once to the wok; stir-fry for 30 seconds. Pour in the stock and stir another 15 seconds. Pour the sauce over the eggplant slices and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve immediately.

COLD BARBECUED CHINESE EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a wok or cast-iron skillet over medium heat until hot. Add eggplant and, stirring constantly, cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat. Using the back of a large slotted spoon, press the eggplant against the side of the pan to squeeze out excess oil. Set the eggplant aside.
• Return the skillet to medium heat. Add the ginger, garlic and bean paste. Stir and cook for one minute. Stir in the broth, soy sauce and sugar. Bring the liquid to a boil. Add the eggplant and cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in the vinegar and sesame oil. Put the eggplant in a large bowl. Set aside to cool. Garnish with minced scallion and serve.

STIR-FRIED ASIAN EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Cut each eggplant in half lengthwise, then cut diagonally into 1/2-inch slices. Cover the eggplants with water, add the salt, and stir to dissolve the salt. Soak the eggplants for 5 minutes, then drain well.
• In a small bowl, mix the oyster sauce with the sugar and sesame oil and set aside.
• Heat a wok or nonstick skillet over high heat. Add the vegetable oil, garlic, chile peppers, and eggplants and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons water and continue stir-frying for 2 more minutes. Add the oyster sauce mixture and stir well to mix. Remove to a platter and serve hot or cold.