Real African Dishes: [MC-AllEthnic-Recipes] China Moon Dry-Fried Chinese Eggplant Nuggets

WW 6 pts plus
* Exported from MasterCook *

              China
Moon Dry-Fried Chinese Eggplant Nuggets

Recipe By     :
Serving Size :
4     Preparation Time :0:00
Categories    :
LowCal (Less than 300 cals)     LowerCarbs
                Seafood

Amount Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
                        Aromatics:
4          teaspoons ginger -- minced
4          teaspoons garlic -- minced
     1/3           cup scallions -- thin sliced
1           teaspoon Chinese chili sauce
1         Tablespoon dried shrimp -- soaked in hot water and
drained
                        Sauce:
2        Tablespoons soy sauce
2        Tablespoons brown sugar
1         Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 1/2    Tablespoons hot water
4        Tablespoons corn oil -- to 5 Tablespoons, or peanut oil
1 1/2         pounds Chinese eggplant -- tipped and roll-cut into nuggets about 1-inch long.
                        To Garnish: -- thin-sliced
scallions

Combine aromatics in a small bowl; seal under ready to
use.
Combine sauce ingredients through the water in a small
bowl. Stir to
blend, leaving the spoon in the bowl.

Heat a wok or large heavy skillet over high heat until
hot enough to
evaporate a bead of water on contact.. Add 3 tbs. oil and swirl to glaze
pan. Reduce heat to moderate. When the oil is hot enough
to sizzle a
scallion ring, add aromatics. Stir gently until fully
fragrant, 20-30
seconds (should not brown).

Add eggplant, toss well to combine. Toss until the
eggplant is very hot
and the skin is mostly brown, about 4 minutes. Adjust
heat so eggplant
cooks without scorching. Drizzle in more oil as needed to
keep from
sticking, but beware that eggplant will absorb oil.

Stir sauce and add to pan. Toss well to combine. Bring
liquid to simmer,
cover pan, and simmer until liquid is 90% absorbed, 2-3
minutes.

Serve hot, tepid, or cold. Garnish with scallion rings.

Serves 3 to 4, as part of a multi-course meal.

AuthorNote: This is my favorite Chinese eggplant dish,
bar none. Meaty in
texture and sweet from both the natural flavor of the
slender eggplant and
the veil of brown sugar; it is deeply satisfying. If
Chinese eggplant are
within reach and you have never before cooked them, this
is the recipe to
try.

Preparations are simple and can be done ahead. The dish
is also excellent
at room temperature.

Dry Frying: "Dry frying" refers to a style of
stir-fried dish in which the
sauce liquids are purposely reduced while the components
are tossed over
moderately-high heat. It is a way of enriching a dish
with concentrated
flavors, and is a favored treatment with meaty
vegetables.

Roll-Cutting: Pretty and practical, roll-cutting is a
Chinese method of
slicing long cylindrical vegetables like asparagus into
lively looking
nuggets. Hold your knife at a 45-degree angle to the
vegetable, cut it at
the end, then roll the vegetable a third of a turn away
form you (or
towards); then cut it again on the same angle an inch
above the first cut.
The result is a 1-inch nugget with appealingly
asymmetrical splayed ends.
The diagonally exposed ends allow for quick cooking and
great penetration
of seasonings, and are fun for your tongue. Kids will
love roll-cutting if
you want to put them to work.

Dried Shrimp: One of the weirder food flavorings on the
Chinese scene,
dried shrimp range from the size of a melon seed to
3/4-inch in length.
Sometimes they wear shells, heads, tails, and /or a
fringe of tiny feet.
They are strange, salty, and smell funky to boot. In
polite culinary
terms, their flavor could be described as tang. Many
people adore dried
shrimp, some abhor them; it is a matter of choice. In dry
fried
preparations, they are wonderful.

Dried shrimp should be soaked in hot water for 15 minutes
or so. They will
grow somewhat softer but not soft. Drain the briny liquid
and pick off any
large bits of shell.

Keep dried shrimp sealed airtight in the refrigerator. If
kept at room
temperature in warm weather, they can grow moldy.

Cuisine:
"Chinese"
Source:
"China Moon
Cookbook by Barbara Tropp, 1992"
S(Formatted by Chupa Babi):
"April
2013"
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Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 197 Calories; 14g
Fat (59.0%
calories from fat); 3g Protein; 19g Carbohydrate; 5g
Dietary Fiber; 0mg
Cholesterol; 535mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 1/2 Vegetable; 0
Fruit; 2 1/2 Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.

Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0