Best Nasu Dengaku Broiled Japanese Eggplants With Miso Recipes

MISO GLAZED EGGPLANT (NASU DENGAKU)

Steps:

• Add miso and egg yolk in a small saucepan and mix well using a spatula.
• Add the remaining Dengaku Miso ingredients of your choice and mix well.
• Place the saucepan over medium heat and constantly mix the miso sauce using a spatula.
• When the edge of the miso sauce starts bubbling, reduce the heat to the lowest setting and continue to cook and mix for about 2 minutes until the sauce thickens to the consistency of mayonnaise.
• Turn the heat off and transfer to a bowl or an air tight container. When slightly cooled down, cover with cling wrap/lid and store until required.
• The amount of one type of dengaku miso can serve 8-10 pieces of eggplant (note 4).
• Remove the stem end of the eggplant.
• If you are using one large eggplant, cut it crosswise into 2cm wide discs. There should be about 6 discs. Do not use the round end of the eggplant. If using two small eggplants, cut each of them vertically into half.
• While working on each piece of eggplant, keep the rest in a bowl filled with water. This will prevent the flesh of the eggplant from getting brownish.
• Score the eggplant flesh at 1cm intervals as far as you can without cutting through to the other side. Then score again perpendicular to the first cuts (if discs) or to make diamonds (if vertically cut eggplants).
• Run a knife around the eggplant shape, just inside of skin.
• Add the eggplant pieces and the oil in a bowl and thoroughly coat them with the oil.
• Heat a non-stick frypan over medium heat. Hold the eggplant pieces in a bowl and drain the oil into the frypan if any oil is accumulated at the bottom of the bowl.
• Place the eggplant pieces in the pan, scored side down and cook for 2 minutes.
• Turn them over and cook further 2 minutes. The eggplant flesh should become quite soft but if the thick part of the eggplant is not soft yet, place a lid on and cook further 30 seconds to 1 minute.
• Turn eggplant pieces over and transfer them onto a serving plate.
• Drop ⅓ or ½ tablespoon (note 4) of dengaku miso on each piece of eggplant and spread the miso over the entire surface of the eggplant.
• For dark miso, sprinkle white sesame seeds over the top (if using). Grate lime rind (or sprinkle dried seaweed flakes) over white miso.
• Serve while warm.

NASU DENGAKU - MISO GLAZED EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Slice eggplant in half and using a knife, score the inside in small squares.
• In a pan over high heat, add oil and put the eggplant skin facing down.
• Cook for a few minute until skin is brown. Turn the eggplant over and cover with a lid. Cook until eggplant is cooked through (about 3 to 4 minutes).
• Meanwhile, in a bowl, mix miso, mirin, sugar and sake.
• Cover a cooking tray with foil and place the eggplant on top. Brush miso dengaku mix on top of each eggplant until all the surface is coated.
• Put in the oven and broil for 4 minutes. The miso mix should be bubbling when you take it out of the oven.
• Sprinkle sesame seeds on top and serve hot.

MISO EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180°C / fan 160°C / 350°F / gas mark 4.
• Line a large baking tray with baking parchment and set aside.
• Halve the eggplants lengthways and flip them over. Cut a thin slice off the bottom's skin side in order to stabilise the eggplant.
• Flip it over again and score the flesh in diamond shapes. Be careful not to slice it all the way through.
• Place the eggplants in the lined baking tray and brush each half with half of the oil.
• Bake for 35-40 minutes, checking halfway through to see if more oil is required. I.e. if it looks dry, give it a brush with oil. The eggplant should be soft at the end of cooking time.
• While the eggplants are baking, make the miso sauce.
• Place all the miso sauce ingredients, except the sesame oil, in a small pot and bring to simmer.
• Continue to cook until the miso paste and sugar has dissolved.
• Stir in the sesame oil. Remove the heat and retrieve the eggplants, once cooked.
• Preheat the broiler / grill.
• Baste each eggplant with equal amounts of miso sauce then place under the broiler / grill until caramelised and golden. This will take about 3-4 minutes.
• Decorate with sesame seeds and chives. Serve immediately as a starter. Enjoy!

NASU DENGAKU (BROILED JAPANESE EGGPLANTS WITH MISO)

Steps:

• Mix sake or wine with sugar and boil for a few minutes.
• Add miso to wine and cook just until miso is mixed in.
• Lightly brush or rub cut side of eggplants with sesame oil.
• Place eggplants cut side down under a broiler on high for 3 minutes.
• Turn eggplant over and broil another 3 minutes.
• Spread sesame mixture thinly over cut side of eggplant and return to broiler for about 1 minute.
• Remove from oven and sprinkle eggplants with sesame seeds and green onion.
• *Note if you have extra miso mixture it's great to add to a stirfry.

NASU DENGAKU (GRILLED JAPANESE EGGPLANT WITH MISO PASTE)

Steps:

• For the sauce, whisk the dashi, sugar, mirin, miso and corn starch together. Heat over medium heat stirring until the sauce thickens. Take it off the heat and add the yuzu whisking it in to the sauce.
• For the eggplant, slice them in half lengthwise and score a criss-cross pattern into them to help retain the sauce. Brush with oil and grill on a BBQ or under a broiler until the tops are a dark brown and the eggplant is cooked. Give the sliced sides a good coating of sauce, sprinkle with sesame seeds then put under a broiler to get a little caramelization (be careful, this sauce will burn quickly).
• Serve immediately with some rice.