Yuxiang Qiezi - Fish Fragrant Eggplant
A classic example of the complex flavour balancing that goes into Sichuan food. Salty, sweet, sour, and hot cover the soft, silken eggplant for a delectable experience- especially over rice. The sauce, which contains no fish, hearkens to an era when home cooks elevated vegetables in the absence of readily available meat.
Ingredients
- 750 g Chinese eggplant, halved and cut into 2 inch pieces
- Oil for frying
- 1½ Tbsp Doubanjiang
- 1 Tbsp chopped ginger
- 1 Tbsp chopped garlic
- 150 ml stock or water
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp light soy sauce
- 2 tsp black vinegar
- 1 tsp corn starch mixed into 1 tsp water
- 4 green onions, sliced
- sesame oil for garnish
Method
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1
Pour enough oil to cover the eggplant into a wok and put over high heat. When the oil is hot and shimmering, fry the eggplant pieces in batches until they begin to brown, about 3-4 minutes.
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2
Remove, place on a paper towel to soak up excess oil and set aside.
-
3
Pour out most of the oil, leaving only a couple of tablespoons for the sauce. Add the doubanjiang and fry for about 30 seconds. Add the garlic and ginger, stir well, and fry for another minute or so.
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4
Add the stock, sugar, soy sauce and vinegar and stir until the sauce is uniform. Simmer for a minute or two to allow the flavour to meld.
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5
Add the eggplant, then the corn starch and stir gently. Add the green onions and stir one last time.
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6
Remove from heat and splash on a small spoonful of sesame oil.
* Recipe adapted from Fuschia Dunlop’s Sichuan Cuisine
Fragrant, delicate, with a long-lasting but inoffensive acidity, black vinegar is made from double-fermented black glutinous rice. The older Shanxi black vinegar, Lao Chen Cu, is sealed and aged for a deep, caramel-like flavour. The newer Zhenjiang vinegar is sweeter and more forgiving. Use Zhenjiang vinegar for your Sichuan recipes unless aged vinegar is specifically called for. Never use balsamic vinegar.
