Miso Glazed Eggplant

We made Miso Glazed Eggplant. We had expectations that were NOT exceeded when we made this dish. You win some you loose some!

Miso-Glazed Eggplant

Lucky Peach

Peter Mehan

Make 4 to 6 servings

4         Japanese eggplants, halved lengthwise

1         Tbl neutral oil

¼        Cup Redd miso

2         Tbl  mirin

+         Sesame seeds

1.                Heat the oven to 450*F. (Lazy power move: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper to make cleanup super easy.)

2.                Slick the eggplants all over with oil and arrange them cut-side up on the baking sheet. Roast for 10 minutes—they should be barely wilted, a very light roast

3.                Meanwhile, whisk together the miso and mirin in a small bowl.

4.                Smear the cut side of the eggplants with the miso mixture and roast until the eggplants are tender and the miso is browned and bubbling. 10 minutes longer. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve.

This is one of those center-of-the-plate types of vegetable preparations that can easily supplant meat. (Serve it with short-grain rice and any of the pickles in this book, or with store-bought kimchi.) The eggplants take on a super-rich caramelly umami flavor. It's a standard Japanese response to the part of the summer when there's more eggplant around than anyone knows what to do with, and it works very well on a grill—just put the eggplants over a low-to-medium fire, so the miso doesn't bum too fast and the flesh of the eggplant has time to cook all the way through.