Garlic eggplant

Here's a dish which doesn't even have to be altered.  I serve it a little differently, but I think pretty much anyone familiar with Chinese cuisine would recognize it.

I recommend getting Chinese eggplant, as it tends to be firmer, and it has less of a tendency to get bitter as it ages. (Yes, that's the reason eggplant gets bitter - it sits too long on the plant before picking, and/or it sits too long after picking before being used.  Get the freshest eggplant you can; it should be firm like a peach, not spongy.)

My cheat: I steam the eggplant in the microwave first.  It has a regrettable tendency to stay firm for a long time, and getting it to soften up in a pan can take forever, if it doesn't burn first.  If I'm not in a hurry, I chop it and toss it with a little oil, then put it in a 400-degree oven for about ten minutes, or until it loses most of that spongy texture. Then I toss it into the pan and proceed as usual.

If you don't go through enough fresh ginger to keep it on hand, try putting it in the freezer.  It grates perfectly well when frozen solid, especially if you own a Microplane grater.

Garlic Eggplant
serves 2

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 tablespoon sesame oil
3 long eggplants, cut into bite-sized pieces (about 1 pound)
2 cloves garlic, minced or crushed
1 red chile pepper, finely minced [or a dash of cayenne]
1/2 inch grated fresh ginger (about half a tablespoon)
1 chopped green onion
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon vinegar (Chinese black or rice vinegar)
1 tablespoon sugar [I use brown]

In a wok or saucepan over high heat, add the cooking oil and swirl to coat the pan. When the pan is hot, add the eggplant and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes, until skin is blistered and oil is absorbed.  Reduce heat to low and cook for another 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. The eggplant should have changed in color, the skin wrinkled and the flesh quite soft.

Push the eggplant aside in the pan and add the sesame oil. Add garlic, red chile peppers, ginger and green onion. Stir these aromatics until they become fragrant. Combine aromatics with eggplant and stir fry for one minute. Add soy sauce, black vinegar and sugar and stir to combine; it should thicken until it coats the eggplant.  Serve immediately.

I often serve this with a bed of short-grain white rice, topped with sauteed cabbage (just oil, salt, and pepper), and finally the eggplant on top.  It reminds me of the days when I used to stop by the quick Chinese place and get a rice bowl for lunch.