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Nasu dengaku (miso grilled aubergine)

Name: Nasu dengaku (miso grilled aubergine)
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: Japanese rice vinegar 4 tbsp; caster sugar 1 tbsp; kombu a small piece (optional); yuzu ½, zested or 1 tsp juice (or use lime zest); white radish (mooli) 1, peeled and thinly sliced; aubergine 1 large; oil for deep frying; den miso 50ml (see below); walnuts 50g, roughly chopped; sesame seeds a pinch; sansho or Szechuan pepper a pinch; lemon wedges to serve; brown miso paste 100g; caster sugar 55g; sake 40ml; mirin 40ml

40 minutes + chilling
serves 4 as a starter
A little effort

This riff on sweet 'n' sour miso grilled aubergine from Kurobuta, a tiny café-like space on Chelsea’s King’s Road, makes the perfect starter or side dish that looks impressive but is actually very easy.

Published: March 25, 2015 at 4:28 pm

Enjoy these miso grilled aubergines, then check out more aubergine recipes such as our smoky miso aubergines.

Ingredients

Japanese rice vinegar 4 tbsp
caster sugar 1 tbsp
kombu a small piece (optional)
yuzu ½, zested or 1 tsp juice (or use lime zest)
white radish (mooli) 1, peeled and thinly sliced
aubergine 1 large
oil for deep frying
den miso 50ml (see below)
walnuts 50g, roughly chopped
sesame seeds a pinch
sansho or Szechuan pepper a pinch
lemon wedges to serve
brown miso paste 100g
caster sugar 55g
sake 40ml
mirin 40ml

Method

Step 1

To make the den miso, whisk the ingredients together until smooth.
Step 2

Heat the vinegar, sugar, kombu and yuzu until the sugar dissolves. Season with salt. Toss the mooli with the mix, allow to cool, and chill for an hour.
Step 3

Heat the oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7. Peel the aubergine, and cut into 3cm chunks. Heat the oil in a pan, no more than 2/3 full, to 180C or until a piece of bread browns in 20 seconds. Fry the aubergine until golden, about 3 minutes. Drain well on kitchen paper.
Step 4

Coat the fried aubergine generously in the den miso, put onto a lined baking tray and bake in the oven for 2-4 minutes until the den miso caramelises – keep your eye on it as the sugar will burn quite easily. Drain it again on kitchen paper before putting it on a serving plate. Scatter with chopped walnuts, sesame seeds, and a pinch of sansho pepper. Serve with the mooli and lemon.