Miso Glazed Eggplant
Tender roasted eggplant halves are brushed with a warm mirin, sake, and miso coating, then briefly broiled until shiny and bubbling. Ready in about 45 minutes, including a 10-minute salt rest.
Equipment
- Paring knife
- Baking Sheet
- Foil
- parchment
- Paper towels
- Saucepan
- Broiler
Ingredients
- 2 long Japanese eggplants or 4 small Italian eggplants (about ¾ pound)
- Salt to taste
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil plus additional for the baking sheet
- 1 tablespoon mirin
- 1 tablespoon sake
- 2 tablespoons white or yellow miso
- 1 tablespoon sugar
Instructions
- Split each eggplant lengthwise, remove the stem and leafy cap, then use a paring knife to make one central slit through the flesh down to the skin without puncturing it. Leave the skin intact to support the soft flesh, sprinkle lightly with salt, and rest for 10 minutes while heating the oven to 425°F and preparing a foil- or parchment-lined baking sheet brushed with sesame oil.
- Pat away the surface moisture with paper towels, arrange the halves flesh-side down on the prepared sheet, and roast for 15 to 20 minutes. Once the skins start to wrinkle and the flesh yields easily, take out the sheet, gently turn the halves flesh-side up, and switch the oven to broil.
- Heat the mirin and sake in your smallest saucepan over high heat, boil for 20 seconds without substantially reducing the liquid, then lower the heat and add the miso and sugar. Whisk over medium-low heat until the sugar dissolves and the glaze looks evenly blended, keeping it below a boil, then take the pan off the heat and whisk in the teaspoon of sesame oil.
- Spread all the glaze over the exposed flesh and broil about 2 inches below the heat for approximately 1 minute, watching continuously. Remove the eggplant when the coating becomes shiny and starts bubbling, then serve hot or allow it to cool as desired before cutting diagonally into 1- to 1-½-inch slices.
Notes
Ingredient tip: Salt the cut halves lightly and blot away surface moisture thoroughly with paper towels before roasting so excess water does not dilute the miso glaze.
Texture tip: Keep the skin intact when cutting the central slit so each half holds together when turned, and make sure the flesh yields easily before adding the glaze.
Glaze tip: Whisk the miso and sugar over medium-low heat without boiling to prevent a grainy texture, then watch continuously under the broiler and remove the pan as soon as the coating shines and bubbles.
Storage: To prepare ahead, complete the recipe through Step 3, then cool and refrigerate the roasted eggplant and glaze in separate covered containers; warm chilled eggplant gently before the final broil. Store cooked leftovers refrigerated in an airtight container and enjoy cold or gently warmed.
Nutrition information is an estimate based on common ingredients and serving sizes. Values may vary depending on brands, portions, and substitutions.