Chinese Eggplant

Braised Eggplant with Chicken

Preparation time: 40 minutes

Cooking time: 35 minutes

• 1 cup pickled and salted mustard vegetables (optional, see note)
• Oil for frying
• 150g/5ozs. chicken thigh, sliced thinly
• 1.5 teaspoon cornflour/cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1kg/2.2lbs eggplant (around 2 medium eggplant), sliced lengthwise, around 1cm or half an inch thick
• 1 onion, peeled and roughly chopped
• 2 slices ginger
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and finely sliced
• 2 large red chillies, sliced

Sauce mix:

• 3 teaspoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 tablespoon light soya sauce
• 1/2 tablespoon dark soya sauce
• Dash of white pepper
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1.5-2 cups water

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*these pickled vegetables are available at Chinese grocery stores. They're preserved in salt and add a lot of flavour to this dish. You can do without them but if you can find them, they're great to use.

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**Step 1 - Soak the pickled and salted vegetables in very hot water for 15 minutes. Allow to cool naturally and then massage them to get all the salt off them. Rinse them under cold running water three times making sure to get rid of all of the salt. While the vegetables are soaking, in another bowl mix the cornflour, salt and sugar with the chicken slices and allow to marinate for 10 minutes or so. Then in a third bowl mix all of the sauce ingredients together excluding the water and have that ready.

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Step 2 - Add a couple of tablespoons of oil to a saucepan and pan fry the eggplant slices and set aside. Then fry the chicken and place in a bowl and set aside.

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Step 3 - Add a tablespoon of oil to the pan and fry the onion, ginger, garlic, chilli and pickled vegetables until aromatic (a few minutes). Add the eggplant back into the pan. Add the sauce mixture into the pan and then braise the eggplant. Cook for 15 minutes or so adding in the water in three lots when it seems like it is getting dry. I find the longer you cook it the more velvety and soft it is. I press down on the eggplant so break it up as that makes it softer and easier to eat too.