Gochujang-Glazed Eggplant With Fried Scallions
Published Sept. 30, 2020

- Total Time
- 45 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
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Ingredients
- 1pound Asian eggplant (about 3 large; preferably Korean, or Chinese or Japanese), halved lengthwise and cut into 4- to 5-inch segments
- 1teaspoon kosher salt
- 2tablespoons gochujang
- 1tablespoon soy sauce
- 2packed teaspoons dark brown sugar
- 1teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 2garlic cloves, finely grated
- ½cup olive oil
- 4scallions, trimmed, cut into 3-inch segments, then very thinly sliced lengthwise, white and green parts separated
Preparation
- Step 1
Place the eggplant in a colander set inside a large bowl or the sink. Sprinkle with the salt, toss to combine and let sit for 30 minutes to remove excess moisture.
- Step 2
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, add the gochujang, soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil and garlic. Whisk to combine, then set aside.
- Step 3
To a large nonstick skillet, add the olive oil and the white parts of the scallions. Turn the heat to medium and fry the scallions, stirring often, until crispy and evenly browned, about 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the fried scallions onto a paper towel.
- Step 4
Reserve a small handful of raw scallion greens for garnish, then fry the remaining scallion greens in the oil until crispy and lightly browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer fried scallion greens onto a paper towel.
- Step 5
Remove the skillet from the heat and carefully pour the hot scallion oil into a glass container or measuring cup.
- Step 6
After the 30 minutes of salting, dry the eggplant segments with a paper towel. Place the skillet over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons of the reserved scallion oil.
- Step 7
When the oil starts to shimmer and you see a wisp of smoke, add half the eggplant, cut sides down, and fry until browned and starting to soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip once and cook another minute on the other side. Transfer to a plate, add 2 more tablespoons of scallion oil back to the pan, and repeat to fry the second batch of eggplants. (If you are lucky enough to have any scallion oil left, use it to fry eggs or to dress a salad.)
- Step 8
Finally, sauce the eggplants: Add the first batch of eggplants back to the pan alongside the second batch. Reduce the heat to medium-low and pour the reserved gochujang sauce over the eggplants. Toss until evenly coated and the gochujang starts to caramelize, about 1 minute.
- Step 9
Plate the eggplants on a large platter and garnish with the fried scallions and the reserved raw scallion greens. Serve immediately. (To store for later, transfer to a resealable container and keep in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days. This dish tastes great cold, straight out of the fridge, or at room temperature.)
Private Notes
Comments
Brilliant recipe - the scallions are the star!!. I used a wok. You can do the scallions more simply by starting with the white parts and adding in the green as the whites just start to color. Putting a lid on the wok while cooking the eggplant makes sure they get nice and soft. We served with steamed Bok Choi with a white miso/lime dressing and white rice.
"Sprinkle with the salt, toss to combine and let sit for 30 minutes to remove excess moisture." excess moisture moisture sture ure re e .
I have never salted the thin style eggplants and they have never been bitter. I skipped this step and the result was still delicious.
I just made this! Sooo good! I did it with both eggplant and zucchini. Then I baked some tofu, and made some brown rice. Only 1 tablespoon of Gochujang instead of 2. Amaaaazing!
Have been growing a lot of ping tung eggplants and now that fall is here we have been making this as they ripen, the leftovers the next day are also great. I salt them at the beginning, but usually don't wait the full time, just as tasty. Grow eggplants and make this a seasonal fall dish. I do that with dolmades, I grow a grape vine for the leaves and make dolmades for about 2 months in the summer when the leaves are fresh (also grow dill, mint and parsley) - eating more seasonally and locally!
This is sooo delicious! Easy to put together, very forgiving with serving temp and such a wonderful side to pretty much anything! Thank you for sharing this dish!
