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Japan, Asia · Nasu Dengaku (Miso-Glazed Eggplant)

Two-Miso Fried Nasu Dengaku

Kyoto-style dengaku: eggplant deep-fried until silky, then grilled with two glazes, a lemony white miso enriched with egg yolk and a deep red miso.

ServingsServes 2
Total cooking time32 min
DifficultyMedium
About servingsFrying oil is extremely hot. Pat the eggplant dry, keep water away from the oil, and if it catches fire, never use water: cover with a lid and turn off the heat.

Method

  1. Make the white glaze: whisk the white miso, mirin, sugar and egg yolk until smooth in a 14 cm saucepan, then cook on low heat for , stirring constantly with a spatula. When the yolk has cooked and the glaze is thick, glossy and mayonnaise-like, take it off the heat and stir in the grated lemon zest. Keep the heat low or the yolk will scramble.

    Add in this stepWhite glaze: white (shiro) miso 2 tbspWhite glaze: mirin 1 tbspWhite glaze: sugar 2 tspWhite glaze: egg yolk 1White glaze: lemon, finely grated zest only ¼

    low heat

  2. Rinse the pan and cook the red miso, mirin, sugar and sake on low heat, stirring, for , into a red glaze about as thick as ketchup.

    Add in this stepRed glaze: red (aka) miso 2 tbspRed glaze: mirin 2 tbspRed glaze: sugar 3 tspRed glaze: cooking sake 1 tbsp

    low heat

  3. Trim the stem end, halve the eggplants lengthwise and score the cut sides in a 1 cm crisscross about halfway deep. Prick the skin in a few places with the knife tip so it doesn't burst in the oil. Pat thoroughly dry with paper towel; any water left on will make the oil spit.

    Add in this stepJapanese eggplants (slim and long, about 150 g each) 2

  4. Pour oil 3 cm deep into a 22 cm pot or deep pan and heat on medium-high heat for about to 170 °C. A wooden chopstick dipped in should give off a steady stream of fine bubbles.

    Add in this stepNeutral oil for frying 700 ml

    medium-high heat

  5. Lower the eggplant in gently, skin side down, frying in 1 batch. Hold the oil at 170 °C on medium heat and fry each batch for , turning halfway so the cut side turns golden too. When a chopstick slides in easily and the skin is a glossy, vivid purple, lift out, drain cut side down on a rack for 1 minute and blot lightly with paper towel.

    medium heat

  6. Place the eggplant cut side up on a foil-lined tray and spread one half thickly with white glaze and the other with red. Grill in a oven preheated to 250 °C (or under the grill) for , until the edges of the glaze char lightly. A kitchen blowtorch works well too.

    oven

  7. Sprinkle the red glaze with sesame seeds and grate a little more lemon zest over the white, then serve at once.

    Add in this stepToasted sesame seeds 1 tsp

Cook's tip

Fried eggplant is far silkier and keeps a brighter colour than pan-roasted. The white glaze contains egg yolk, so refrigerate it and use within 2 days. If you can find yuzu, use its zest instead of lemon for the authentic aroma.

Cooking it at camp

Make both glazes at home and carry them in a cooler. At the campsite, skip the deep-frying: brush the eggplant generously with oil and grill over charcoal until the skin wrinkles, then spread on the glazes and cover with a lid or foil to warm through.