Miso-Glazed Eggplant

#recipe


Adapted from Just One Cookbook's baked and broiled nasu no miso dengaku. The eggplant is baked until soft, brushed with a sweet miso glaze, then broiled until the top bubbles and caramelizes.

Yield: 0 serving(s) as a side dish

Prep: 10 minutes

Cook: 20 minutes

Total: 30 minutes

Source rating: 4.71 from 124 votes

Ingredients

Sweet Miso Glaze

• 0 Tbsp white miso
• 0 Tbsp sugar
• 0 Tbsp mirin
• 0 Tbsp sake, plus more as needed for consistency

Eggplant

• 0 Japanese eggplant, about 1.2 lb / 518 g total for 3 servings
• 0 Tbsp toasted sesame oil

Garnish

• 0 green onion, thinly sliced
• 0 shiso leaves, julienned
• 0 tsp toasted white sesame seeds
• yuzu kosho, optional

Instructions

Prep

1. Set an oven rack near the center, roughly 7 inches from the broiler element. Preheat the oven to 425°F / 220°C.
2. Stir miso and sugar together in a small bowl until the sugar is worked into the paste.
3. Mix in mirin and sake. Add a small extra splash of sake or water only if the glaze needs loosening.
4. Trim the eggplant stems and calyxes. Halve the eggplants lengthwise, then cut very long halves crosswise if needed.
5. Score the cut surface in a shallow crisscross pattern, about 1/8 inch / 3 mm deep.
6. Soak the eggplant in water for 10 minutes, then blot dry well.

Bake

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Brush the cut sides of the eggplant with toasted sesame oil.
3. Place the eggplant cut side down and bake for 15 minutes, until the flesh is tender and the skin starts to wrinkle.
4. Remove the pan from the oven and switch the oven to broil, keeping the rack in the same position.

Broil

1. Turn the eggplant cut side up.
2. Brush the scored surface with a complete, even layer of sweet miso glaze. Do not pile on excess glaze; save leftovers for vegetables or another batch.
3. Broil for 3-5 minutes, watching closely, until the glaze bubbles and begins to caramelize.

Serve

1. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, green onion, and shiso.
2. Serve immediately, with a small dab of yuzu kosho on the side if using.

Tips

• Scoring helps the eggplant cook faster and take on more glaze.
• Soaking briefly reduces eggplant astringency.
• Keep the pan far enough from the broiler that the glaze can bubble before it burns.
• The glaze batch is generous; it can cover about 3 large or 5 medium Japanese eggplants.

Storage

Refrigerate cooked eggplant in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Refrigerate extra miso glaze for up to 7 days, or freeze it for up to 1 month.

Source: [Miso Glazed Eggplant - Just One Cookbook](https://www.justonecookbook.com/miso-glazed-eggplant/)