Real African Dishes: [MC-AllEthnic-Recipes] China Moon Grilled Chinese Eggplant with Spicy Peanut Sauce

* Exported from MasterCook *

       China Moon
Grilled Chinese Eggplant with Spicy Peanut Sauce

Recipe By     :
Serving Size :
4     Preparation Time :0:00
Categories    :
LowerCarbs                      Vegan

Amount Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
                        Sauce:
2        Tablespoons finely minced garlic
     1/3           cup coriander leaves and stems -- packed (cilantro)
     1/2           cup unseasoned peanut butter -- preferably homemade
     1/2           cup soy sauce
     1/4           cup sugar
1           teaspoon unseasoned rice vinegar -- Japanese
1         Tablespoon hot chili oil -- to 1 1/2 Tablespoons
                        Eggplant:
5               long Chinese eggplant -- 4 to 6,
     1/2           cup Five-Flavor oil -- see below
                        To garnish: -- coriander sprigs

To make the sauce: Combine all of the ingredients through
the vinegar and
1 Tablespoon of the chili oil in a food processor.
Process until blended.
Taste; add a drizzle more chili oil and/or a dash more
sugar if needed to
bring up the heat.

If working in advance, seal the sauce and set it aside. To
refrigerate
overnight, leave out the coriander and buzz it in at the
last minute.

Without removing the leaves (which will serve as a
decorative note),
evenly cut the eggplants in half lengthwise. Score the
flesh lightly with
crisscross hatch marks. Brush the cut sides liberally
with the flavored
oil. Place the eggplants, cut sides down, on a baking
sheet. If you are
working in advance, the eggplant can be left at room
temperature for up to
several hours; brush them only lightly at first, then more
liberally just
before grilling.

About 30 minutes before serving, prepare the grill. Let
the coals burn
until they are grey and only moderately hot. Place the
eggplant halves,
cut side down, on the grill and cook until the surface is
golden and
striped with score marks and the thickest portion of the
skin is tender to
the touch, about 5 minutes.

Serve hot or tepid. Cut the eggplant halves in to wedges
on the diagonal
and arrange, scored sides up, on a plate. Spoon a thin
ribbon of sauce on
top and garnish with a leggy sprig of coriander
alongside.

Serves 3 to 4 as a light main course, 6 to 8 as part of a
multicourse meal

AuthorNote: Eggplant and spicy peanut sauce are made for
one another, so
well do their flavors marry. It seems to be the solid,
taste-truth -
whether you start in northern China with its classic dish
of cold shredded
eggplant topped with a soy and peanut sauce, or wind up
at China Moon with
this left-of-center version done on a Western grill.

Japanese eggplant, which has thicker skin and less sweet
flesh than
Chinese eggplant, it is also good in this preparation.
You have a choice
of peanut sauces. This one is a personal favorite... If
you don't want to
use a grill, you can cook the eggplant in an oven; Roast
the oiled
eggplant, scored side up, on a baking sheet in a
preheated 350F oven until
the flesh is tender, 10 to 20 minutes, depending on the
thickness of the
eggplant.

The sauce and the scoring of the eggplant can be done in
advance.

China Moon Five-Flavor Oil
1 1/3           cups oil -- corn or peanut
     1/2           cup sesame oil -- Japanese
3              large scallions -- cut into thick green and white
rings
10            slices quarter-size thin coins fresh ginger --
smashed
1 1/2      teaspoons dried red chili flakes -- shockingly pungent
2          teaspoons Szechwan peppercorns

Combine all of the ingredients in a heavy, non-aluminum 1
to 1 1/2 quart
saucepan. Rest a deep-fry thermometer on the rim of the
pot. Over
moderately low heat, bring the mixture to a bubbly 225F,
stirring
occasionally. Let simmer for 15 minutes, checking to
ensure the
temperature does not rise. Remove from the heat and let
stand until cool
or overnight.

Strain the oil without pressing the solids; then, discard
the solids.
Store the oil in an impeccably clean glass jar at cool
[room] temperature.

Makes 1 1/2 cups

Cuisine:
"Asian"
Source:
"China Moon
Cookbook by Barbara Tropp, 1992"
S(Formatted by Chupa Babi):
"April
2013"
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Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 576 Calories; 47g
Fat (70.4%
calories from fat); 12g Protein; 33g Carbohydrate; 6g
Dietary Fiber; 0mg
Cholesterol; 2064mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 1 Lean Meat; 1
Vegetable; 8 Fat; 1 Other Carbohydrates.

Nutr. Assoc. : 0 20130 0 5376 0 0 0 0 0 0 425 0