Sticky Eggplant

 

I am always on the lookout for a way to make the incredible sticky eggplant we had at Fujin chinese restaurant in Portland, Ore., on our honeymoon 18 years ago. It was dark, both sweet and savory, and just a little chewy, fried to perfection. To die for.

This isn’t it. But it IS good. Perhaps it would have been sticky had I not lost patience with cooking the sauce 15 minutes beyond the time prescribed in Nikki Dinki’s Meat on the Side Cookbook.

Dinki, who strives to make vegetables the star of a meal, was a finalist in Season 9 of The Next Food Network Star in 2013. Damaris Phillips eventually won. Dinki still came out of it with the show Junk Food Flip on the Cooking Channel and this cookbook.

Dinki suggests adding cooked sliced sausage to the eggplant if you want meat (serving any vegetarians first), but I decided to try Chinese barbecued pork and thought it was just right.

I neglected to pick up fresh lemongrass when I bought the barbecued pork at my neighborhood Asian market. I tried one of the recommended substitutes for lemongrass I found in a Google search and was quite satisfied with the flavor of the sauce. Well, after I added brown sugar to the too-sour-for-me mixture. There was enough sauce for about 1 1/2 pounds of eggplant.

Also, instead of cooking rice, I used leftover quinoa that was cooked in chicken broth. I did stir a small can of coconut milk (Asian market) into it when I reheated it. It worked fine and provided a bit more protein as well as more nutrition than white rice.

I used a platter to display the dish rather than using bowls for individual servings.

 

Sticky Eggplant Rice Bowls

1 stalk lemongrass (or 1 tsp. dried lemongrass; 2 slices ginger, minced; and 1 tbsp. lemon juice)

2 cups apricot jam

1/2 cup beef stock, plus more as needed

1/2 cup sherry vinegar (I used ginger-infused white balsamic)

3 tbsp. brown sugar, packed (my addition)

1 tbsp. fish sauce

1 tbsp. soy sauce

. . . . . . . . . .

2 1/2 cups water

1 1/4 cups long-grain white rice

1 tbsp. unsalted water

1 tsp. kosher salt

. . . . . . . . . .

2 to 3 tbsp. olive oil

1 large eggplant, about 1 lb. (try 1 1/2 lbs.), peeled and cut into bite-size pieces

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

. . . . . . . . . .

1 tbsp. white vinegar

4 large eggs

1/4 cup chopped fresh chives

 

Trim the ends of the lemongrass stalk and remove a couple of the outer layers. Slice it crosswise into thin rounds. Add it (or my substitute) to a small saucepan along with the jam, 1/2 cup stock, vinegar, brown sugar, fish sauce and soy sauce. Place over medium heat and cook till thickened and a glaze consistency, about 20 minutes (takes much longer). You want the sauce to be pourable. If it gets too thick, thin with a little more beef broth. If you used fresh lemongrass, strain sauce into a small sauce pan; keep warm on low heat.

While the sauce is cooking, prepare the rice (or preferred grain per package directions). Bring the water and rice to a boil. Lower heat and simmer until rice is cooked but still firm, 10 to 20 minutes or as indicated on the package. When done, stir in the butter and 1 teaspoon of the salt.

Heat the 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When hot, add eggplant and sprinkle with remaining salt and stir. Sauté until tender and lightly browned, 10 to 15 minutes.

To poach eggs: Bring 2 inches of water in a deep skillet or sauté pan to a boil. Reduce and maintain a low simmer. Add the vinegar. Break eggs, one at a time, into a cup and slide into the water. Repeat immediately with the other eggs. Cook until the whites are firm and yolks still soft, 4 to 6 minutes. Remove eggs with slotted spoon and drain.

To serve, stir the sauce into the skillet with the cooked eggplant. Divide the rice equally among four to six bowls and spoon the eggplant mixture over each. Place a poached egg on top of each and scatter chives over. Line edge of bowl with sliced barbecued pork, if using.