Despite the name, fish-fragrant eggplant contains no fish at all. What it does have is everything else worth loving: silky eggplant, garlic, ginger, chilies, and that perfect balance of sweet, sour, savory, and spicy that makes Sichuan cooking so addictive. It’s the kind of dish that can turn even a casual eggplant eater into a devoted fan.
Ingredients:
For the eggplant:
- Salt
- 1 pound Chinese eggplant, trimmed, quartered lengthwise, and cut crosswise into 3-inch batons
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
For the sauce:
- 2 teaspoons Chinkiang or balsamic vinegar
- 3 teaspoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 tablespoons chicken stock
- Pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
For the stir-fry:
- 6 tablespoons avocado oil
- 2 to 4 ounces ground chicken (optional)
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons minced ginger
- 1 tablespoon doubanjiang chile paste
- 1 teaspoon minced Thai chile (optional)
- 2 green onions, whites and pale green parts cut into 1-inch segments, dark green parts thinly sliced, for garnish
- Small handful chopped cilantro, for garnish
- Prepare the eggplant: combine 1/2 cup salt with 2 quarts of water in a medium bowl. Add the eggplant pieces, cover with a clean paper towel, press down to soak the paper towel in brine, and aside to soak for at least 10 and up to 20 minutes. Drain the eggplant and spin in a salad spinner or blot dry with paper towels. Transfer to a bowl, sprinkle with cornstarch, and toss with your fingertips until lightly coated. Set aside.
- Make the sauce: combine the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and mix until no cornstarch lumps remain. Set aside.
- Make the stir-fry: heat 1/4 cup oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the eggplant and spread into a single layer. Cook, turning the eggplant occasionally, until softened and browned on all sides, about four minutes. Transfer the eggplant to a paper towel lined bowl and set aside.
- Heat a wok over high heat and add 2 tablespoons oil and swirl to coat. Add the garlic, ginger, doubanjiang, green onion whites and pale green parts, and Thai chili and stir-fry until fragrant and the oil has become dark red from the bean paste, about 30 seconds. Stir the sauce and add it to the wok by swirling it around the sides. Stir-fry until the sauce is thick, about 15 seconds.
- Add the eggplant to the wok and toss a coat in the sauce. If the sauce overthickens, thin it out with a splash of water. Transfer to a serving bowl, garnish with the green onion greens and chopped cilantro leaves, and serve.