Yuxiang Eggplant (Fish-Fragrant Aubergine)

Method

1. Trim the eggplants and cut them into batons 8 cm long and 1.5 cm thick. Toss them in a bowl with the salt and leave for 10 min. When beads of water appear and the batons bend slightly, squeeze them gently with your hands or blot dry with kitchen paper. Salted eggplant soaks up less oil and holds its colour better.

   Add in this stepEggplants (Chinese or regular) 500 gSalt (for salting) ½ tsp

2. In a small bowl, stir together the soy sauce, black vinegar, sugar, Shaoxing wine, sauce cornstarch and water until the sugar dissolves. Finely chop the garlic and ginger, and slice the spring onions, keeping the white and green parts separate.

   Add in this stepLight soy sauce 2 tspChinese black vinegar (Chinkiang) 2 tspSugar 2 tspShaoxing wine (or dry sherry) 1½ tspCornstarch (for the sauce) 1 tspWater 80 ml

3. Dust the dried eggplant lightly with cornstarch. Heat the oil in a 28 cm · 1× pan over medium-high heat, add the eggplant in a single layer and fry for 6 min per batch, turning, until golden on all sides and soft enough that a chopstick slides in easily. Lift out onto a plate. If cooking in 2 batches, split the oil between them.

   Add in this stepCornstarch (for dusting) 2 tbspNeutral oil 3¼ tbsp

   medium-high heat

4. Add the remaining oil to the same pan and, over medium-high heat, stir-fry the minced pork for 2 min, breaking it up with a spatula, until no pink remains and it looks crumbly.

   Add in this stepNeutral oil ¾ tbspMinced pork 100 g

   medium-high heat

5. Turn the heat down to medium heat, add the doubanjiang, garlic, ginger and spring onion whites and stir-fry for 1 min, until the oil turns red and smells rich. Doubanjiang burns easily, so don't let the heat creep up.

   Add in this stepDoubanjiang (chilli bean paste) 1 tbspGarlic cloves 4Fresh ginger 10 gSpring onions 1

   medium heat

6. Return the eggplant, give the sauce a stir (the starch settles at the bottom) and pour it in. Toss over medium-high heat for 1 min 30 sec, until the sauce thickens and coats the eggplant in a glossy layer. Turn off the heat, scatter over the spring onion greens and serve over steamed rice.

   Add in this stepSpring onions 1

   medium-high heat