Nasu Dengaku - Cooking Japanese in Jamaica

This is probably my favourite aubergine recipe - in Japanese food anyway. I just love food with aubergine, because it's one of the most delicious vegetables when cooked properly. I have not been cooking much of them as the ones I tried here are very bitter, dry and hard. I usually soak them in salt water for an hour or so before cooking, to remove some of that bitterness. Even then, it just does not taste like the aubergines that grow in Japan. Perhaps I am not choosing the right ones or not preparing or soaking them the right way. So, if anyone reading this knows how to select sweet tender aubergine, please do let me know.

On the other hand, Japanese aubergines have a very distinct sweet and slightly hot flavour at the same time. They also require no soaking at all, so you can just grill them until the skin is burnt, to give it that smoky taste. Peel in ice water, then pour high quality soy sauce on, sprinkle with shaved bonito fish and ginger, and eat with boiled rice. Simple luxury, I call it.

But, back to Jamaican aubergine. The best way to cook them might be Nasu dengaku, which is fried aubergine with sweet miso sauce. The idea of it alone hurts my head as aubergines absorbs oil like a sponge. But it is said that soaking helps reduce the amount of oil it absorbs. Still, it is not the healthiest but I believe, sometime, it is good to treat yourself with what you want to eat without worrying too much about the health benefits. It releases some of the stresses accumulated in everyday life. If food can heal us from time to time, we should just go for it and indulge. However, if you really do not want to use the frying method, you can grill them in the oven.

You can use other ingredients like potatoes, courgette, tofu, etc.

Cooking time 20 minutes (plus 1 hour for prep)

Serves 2 persons

Ingredients

2 aubergines

160gms miso

4tbs mirin (alternatively white wine and extra 1/2 tablespoon sugar)

4tbs sugar

4tbs water

A sprinkle of sesame seeds

Vegetable oil

If you are using the oven, instead of deep-frying, omit oil, but you will need 4 tbs of good-quality sesame oil instead.

Cooking Instructions

(1) Cut aubergines into half lengthwise.

(2) Soak aubergines in salt water for one hour. In the process of doing this, you will see the water getting a brownish colour. This is all the harshness/bitterness coming out of the vegetable. When this happens, change the water. While aubergines are being soaked, you can prepare sweet miso sauce.

(3) Mix miso, mirin (which can be substituted with white wine and extra 1/2 tablespoon of sugar), water and sugar well.

(4) Heat up the mixture in a small pan on low heat until it thickens and goes back to the consistency of miso. While heating up the mixture, keep stiring so that it does not burn.

(5) When the aubergines are well soaked, wipe them with paper towel and remove all the excess water before putting them into the oil.

(6) Pre-heat oil in the frying pan and cook auberrgines on medium heat. Flip sides often until the vegetables are soft. After removing them, drain off as much of the oil as possible.

(7) Place aubergines cut side up and top them with sweet miso sauce evenly using spoon.

Sprinkle with sesame oil for extra flavour.

They go extremely well with boiled Japanese rice.

Grilled Version

(1) Pre-heat oven on medium high.

(2) Place aubergines on baking sheet cut side down and cook for three to five minutes.

(3) Flip them and cook for another three to five minutes until they golden brown (make sure they do not burn). Repeat the process, if required, until aubergines are tender.

(4) Take them out of oven, place them cut side up and top them with sweet miso sauce evenly using spoon.

(5) Put them back in the oven, still cut side up, and cook for another minute or so. When the sauce starts to bubble, it is ready.

(6) Sprinkle them with sesame oil for an extra flavour.

Itadakimasu

Ai Irisawa-Coney managed a Japanese restaurant in Soho, London. She is also a founder of Epiphany Media Solutions www.facebook.com/epiphanymediaja and ACI Consultancy www.aci-consultancy.com.