Sizzling Claypot Yuxiang Eggplant

Method

1. Cut the eggplants into batons 7 cm long and 2 cm thick, toss with the salt and leave for 15 min, then squeeze out the water and pat completely dry with kitchen paper. Meanwhile, mix the minced pork with the marinade soy sauce and part of the Shaoxing wine.

   Add in this stepEggplants (Chinese or regular) 500 gSalt (for salting) ½ tspMinced pork 120 gLight soy sauce (for the pork) 1 tspShaoxing wine (or dry sherry) 0.6 tsp

2. In a small bowl, stir together the soy sauce, black vinegar, sugar, the rest of the Shaoxing wine, the sauce cornstarch and the chicken stock until the sugar dissolves. Finely chop the garlic and ginger; seed the pickled chillies and chop them finely with a knife. Slice the spring onions, keeping the white and green parts separate.

   Add in this stepLight soy sauce 2 tspChinese black vinegar (Chinkiang) 3 tspSugar 3 tspShaoxing wine (or dry sherry) 1.4 tspCornstarch (for the sauce) 1 tspChicken stock 120 ml

3. Dust the eggplant thinly and evenly with cornstarch and shake off the excess. Pour the frying oil into a 28 cm · 1× wok and heat over medium-high heat to 180 °C (a wooden chopstick dipped in bubbles vigorously). Carefully add the eggplant a little at a time and fry for 2 min 30 sec per batch, until the edges are golden and the inside is soft; lift out onto a rack to drain. Any leftover moisture makes the oil spit violently, so dry the eggplant well and keep water away from the wok. Afterwards pour off the oil, leaving 1 tablespoon in the wok.

   Add in this stepCornstarch (for dusting) 3 tbspNeutral oil for frying 600 ml

   medium-high heat

4. Put the empty claypot (or a small cast-iron pot, 16 cm) on low heat and warm it gradually for 5 min. Putting a claypot straight onto high heat can crack it, so always heat it slowly.

   low heat

5. Heat the wok over medium-high heat, add the pork and stir-fry for 2 min until the edges crisp. Turn down to medium heat, add the doubanjiang, pickled chillies, garlic, ginger and spring onion whites and stir-fry for 1 min, until the oil turns red.

   Add in this stepDoubanjiang (chilli bean paste) 1 tbspSichuan pickled red chillies (pao jiao) 2Garlic cloves 5Fresh ginger 12 gSpring onions 1

   medium-high heat→medium heat

6. Add the fried eggplant, stir the sauce again and pour it in, then toss over high heat for 1 min, until the sauce turns thick and glossy around the eggplant. Drizzle with the sesame oil and toss once more.

   Add in this stepToasted sesame oil 1 tsp

   high heat

7. Tip everything into the hot claypot, scatter over the spring onion greens, cover and leave on medium heat for 1 min. When it sizzles around the edges, set it on a trivet and take it straight to the table. The claypot is extremely hot, so always move it with oven gloves.

   Add in this stepSpring onions 1

   medium heat