Yu-Xiang Eggplant

Yuxiang Qiezi (鱼香茄子)

Sweet and sour, garlicky and fragrant, plus a hint of spiciness – these eggplant wedges have an incredible sauce that can’t be beat.

Yu-Xiang Eggplant has many robust flavors, and the word Yu-Xiang (鱼香) implies that the dish tastes like fish. This dish is often translated literally as Fish-Flavored or Fish-Fragrant Eggplant – a rather poor translation as there are no longer any fishy-flavors added to this dish. (Originally, a type of mint was added to Yu-Xiang dishes called Fish Fragrant Grass 鱼香草; it has a subtle fishy flavor. But it’s no longer commonly used in most of China for Yu-Xiang dishes). It’s more accurate to say this is Eggplant (茄子) cooked with the Flavors (香) commonly used to cook Fish (鱼). But this doesn’t quite roll off the tongue. My least favorite translation, however, is Eggplant in Garlic Sauce or Eggplant in a Garlicky Sauce. Garlic is only a small fraction of a dish with immensely complex flavors.

Yu-Xiang Eggplant features an array of flavors, but the most important are Sweet and Sour, Spicy, and Fragrant. The sweet and sour hits immediately – the classic combination of sugar and Chinese black vinegar. Along with these comes the fragrant pop of garlic, ginger, and scallion. And afterwards, the heat from pickled red chilies grows and intensifies, but mellows quickly before the next bite.

Yu-Xiang Eggplant isn’t limited to only frying. You can actually steam the eggplant before mixing it with the sauce. This will make it only slightly healthier, as the sauce will still contain quite a lot of sugar. So, do not think of this as a healthy dish, but as a fun one to brighten any meal. If you do steam the Eggplant, it’s extremely important to use young eggplant, which won’t become firm or rubbery after steaming. I would recommend using young eggplant regardless of the cooking method, but this dish can be prepared with any fresh eggplant.

Yu-Xiang Eggplant can be quite flexible with the ingredients you have on hand, but one addition I’d highly recommend is a bit of minced pork. You can use any small scraps of leftover pork from cooking other dishes. Fattier cuts of pork like hindquarter and belly work best. This is a great recipe for utilizing every piece of meat and not letting them go to waste. Yu-Xiang Eggplant is just as often meatless and can even be made vegetarian depending on your preference.

Prep Time: 10 min

Cook Time: 5 min

Total Time: 15 min

Serving: 2 - 4 people

Ingredients

150 grams of Pork Belly or Ground Pork (Optional)

Aromatics
4 large cloves of Garlic
2-inch block of Ginger
5 Pickled Red Chilies

Garnish
1 Tbsp. finely sliced green stalks of Small Scallion (小葱)
1 tsp. finely minced Garlic

Sauces and Seasonings
1/2 – 3/4 cup Water
2 Tbsp. Light Soy Sauce
1 1/2 Tbsp. Chinkiang Black Vinegar
2 Tbsp. White Sugar
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. MSG
1 Tbsp. Corn Starch

2 Eggplants (about 500 grams; preferably young Eggplants)

1 Tbsp. White Vinegar
2 Tbsp. Corn Starch

Peanut Oil (Enough for Deep Frying)

Directions

1.) Wash off the Pork Belly and place it on a cutting board. Slice the Pork thinly and then use two cleavers to mince the Pork. Set this Pork aside in a bowl.

2.) Peel, smash, and mince the Garlic and Ginger, placing them into a bowl. Dice the Pickled Red Chilies and add to the bowl of Garlic and Ginger, making this the bowl of Aromatics.

3.) Prepare the Garnishes in advance by finely slicing the Scallion and mincing the Garlic. Place these in a separate bowl from the Aromatics.

4.) Combine all of the Sauces and Seasonings (Water, Soy Sauce, Vinegar, Sugar, Salt, MSG, and Corn Starch), mixing them thoroughly until the Salt, Sugar, and Corn Starch dissolves.

5.) Wash the Eggplant and cut off both ends, creating a cylinder. Cut the Eggplant into 2-inch wedges by starting at the edge, cutting at a 45-degree angle, rotating cut-side up, cutting again, and repeating all the way down the length of the Eggplant. Place the wedges in a large bowl.

6.) Add the White Vinegar and Cornstarch to the Eggplant and toss to combine.

(The Vinegar will help to preserve the bright colors of the Eggplant when it’s cooking as it prevents oxidation and discoloration).

7.) Fill a seasoned wok at least 1/3 full, but no more than 1/2 full, with Peanut Oil and heat on high.

8.) Fry the Eggplant about 30 seconds to 1 minute until the exterior is ultra-crispy. Then strain out the Eggplant by pouring the Oil into a wire strainer set over a large pot. Spread out the Eggplant on a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet to keep them crispy.

9.) Quickly add a few tablespoons of Peanut Oil back to the wok, heat on medium-high, and add the minced Pork. Stir-fry until the color starts to change and the individual pieces separate easily.

10.) Pull the wok away from heat, add the Aromatics, return the wok to heat, and stir-fry vigorously until fragrant.

11.) Pour the Sauces and Seasonings into the wok and bring the sauce to a low boil while stirring constantly. Allow the sauce to thicken to a syrup-like consistency.

12.) Return the Eggplant to the wok and toss gently for about 30 seconds until all the pieces are coated in the sauce.

13.) Sprinkle with a little of the finely sliced Scallion, mix one final time, and then plate the Yu-Xiang Eggplant. Garnish with an extra sprinkling of finely sliced Scallion as well as some finely minced Garlic.

(Yu-Xiang Eggplant is a great dish to serve in a heated clay pot along with plenty of extra sauce.)

 

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