WHOLE GRILLED JAPANESE EGGPLANT WITH LEMON AND SOY SAUCE

Whole Grilled Japanese Eggplant with Lemon and Soy Sauce image

Provided by Tadashi Ono

Yield Serves 4

Number Of Ingredients 5

2 tablespoons soy sauce
4 teaspoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons olive oil
4 Japanese eggplants (about 1 pound)
1/4 cup katsuobushi, dried, shaved bonito flakes (a type of tuna), optional

Steps:

Whisk together the soy sauce, lemon juice, and olive oil in a bowl to make the dressing; set aside. Score the stem end of each eggplant, making a circular cut in the skin (this will make the eggplant easier to peel). Poke a few holes into the eggplants with a skewer or fork to allow steam to escape as they grill.
Preheat a grill to medium. Grill for about 8 minutes, turning the eggplants a quarter turn every 2 minutes. Try to grill the eggplant all around. Test the eggplants for doneness by pressing against their sides with a pair of tongs. If the eggplants give easily, they're ready. Transfer the eggplants to a plate.
As soon as the eggplants are cool enough to handle, carefully peel off the skin (the skin comes off more easily if the eggplant is warm; don't let it cool completely). Once you've removed the skin, remove the stems, and slice each eggplant into 4 pieces, cutting on an angle. Transfer the eggplant slices to a platter. Drizzle with dressing, sprinkle with the bonito, and serve.