Chef Don Tong’s Spicy Eggplant With Garlic Sauce

Fragrant, spicy and delicious! A perfect combination of sweet, hot and salty with the richness of fresh garlic and sesame. This recipe was modeled after one of my all-time favorite Santa Cruz, California restaurants, where Chef Tong made fabulous food that everyone in town remembers even decades later.

2 to 3 pounds Asian eggplant, cut into pieces 3 to 4 inches long, then sliced 1/2-inch thick
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup white wine or beer
1/4 cup soy sauce
1-1/2 tablespoons sugar
4 tablespoons peanut oil
3 to 4 whole dried hot red chile peppers
1 pound lean ground pork
20 cloves (about 2 heads) garlic, finely chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh ginger
1/3 cup Chinese hot black bean sauce (or if you don’t want the dish really spicy, use regular black bean sauce)
1 cup chopped scallions, including greens (save a few tops for garnish)
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 1/4 cup water
hot cooked rice

Garnish

3 tablespoons sliced scallion tops

In a large pot or steamer placed over boiling water, steam the eggplant slices just until they are almost tender. Remove from heat and set aside.

To make the sauce, combine the chicken broth, wine, soy sauce and sugar and mix well. Set aside.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the peanut oil in a wok until very hot. Add the chiles and stirfry until chiles are blackened and beginning to smoke. Add ground pork. Break meat up and stir-fry for about 30 seconds or until no longer pink. Remove and discard the chiles.

Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of peanut oil to the pan, then add the garlic and ginger and stirfry for 30 seconds. Mix in the black bean sauce and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the reserved cooked eggplant and cook for 2 to 3 minutes longer. Mix in the sauce mixture and cook 3 to 5 minutes or until sauce is beginning to bubble, stirring gently. Add the scallions and sesame oil. Stir in the cornstarch mixture and cook until thickened, about 2 minutes.

Serve over hot rice, garnish with scallion tops.

Serves 6 to 8

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