Dinner · 35 min · chinese

Fish-Fragrant Eggplant

Chinese eggplants does the heavy lifting here, with ground pork rounding it out. A Chinese dinner that takes 35 minutes, start to finish.

✓ USDA-verified nutrition data

Ingredients

• 3 Chinese eggplants
• 4 oz Ground pork
• 2 tbsp Doubanjiang
• 4 cloves Garlic
• 1 tbsp Fresh ginger
• 2 tbsp Chinkiang black vinegar
• 1 tbsp Sugar
• 1 tbsp Light soy sauce

Steps

1. Cut the eggplants into finger-length batons and soak in salted water 10 minutes, then drain and pat dry. The salt draws out bitterness and — more importantly — collapses the spongy flesh so it absorbs less oil in the pan.
2. Sear the eggplant in a hot wok with oil in a single layer until golden on two sides, then remove. Crowding the wok steams eggplant into gray mush; give it space and it turns creamy and caramelized.
3. Brown the pork, breaking it fine, then add the doubanjiang, garlic, and ginger and fry until the oil turns red and fragrant — about 1 minute. That red oil is the visual signature of the dish.
4. Return the eggplant with a splash of water, the vinegar, sugar, and soy. Toss 2 minutes until the sauce glazes every piece.
5. Shower with scallions and serve over rice. Despite the name there is no fish — “fish-fragrant” is the seasoning profile, and once you taste it you will understand why it needed its own word.

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