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Grilled Eggplant Is The Smoky Addition Your Ramen Needs
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Iconic Japanese ramen (which actually originated in China!) is the epitome of warmth, comfort, and divine umami-ness. While it's delicate, meaty, chewy, and soupy, it is also extremely versatile in terms of broths, ingredients, and extras. Beyond the conventional ways to make ramen are the unfamiliar, such as the viral TikTok ramen or a Mexican-style ramen with birria. Among these new and uncommon additions comes one filled with delicious smoky aromas: grilled eggplant.
With blackened, charred edges and a delightfully soft center, grilled eggplant is bursting with a subtly sweet and pleasantly mellow earthy taste. Once the eggplant is grilled in oil, it takes on smoky notes that wonderfully complement the ramen's deep and rich taste. Ramen flavor pairings are diverse and a true demonstration of the versatility of the dish. Adding eggplant fits right in thanks to its ability to match a variety of soup bases and seasonings.
For instance, flavoring the eggplant with mirin, soy sauce, and bonito flakes post-grill will amplify the umami flavors, while drizzling a little peanut sauce over the cooked slices will impart some delicious nutty notes. Eggplant may, at times, have a rather mild taste, but it works as an incredible canvas for other seasonings to shine through.
Read more: 5 Rice Brands To Buy, And 5 To Avoid
Why Does Your Ramen Need It?grilled eggplant on griddle - Haoliang/Getty Images
From quick and easy instant ramen to the labor of love involved in creating Tonkotsu ramen, each consists of a wonderful blend of aromas and textures. Grilled eggplant is a highly versatile ingredient that will complement different broths, marinades, and toppings.
The eggplant's smoky flavor blends effortlessly with the sweet and spicy notes of a spicy tomato-based ramen broth. A simple vegetable or chicken stock simmered with ginger, rice wine vinegar, and tamari would also pair well with smoked eggplant, as would miso broth. While the eggplant can be seasoned after grilling, it can also be marinated beforehand. Try a miso glaze or sticky hoisin sauce to accentuate sweet and savory aromas.
Alongside these various versions of ramen, eggplant's texture and taste can also be matched with multiple toppings. Think beansprouts for crunch, sliced green scallions for freshness, a dollop of chili oil for spice, sauteed mushrooms for bite, and a ramen egg for added creaminess. If eggplant is taking a sidekick role, it will also work well with ground beef or pork belly. Ultimately, the limits to how you can match ramen with grilled eggplant are only compounded by your imagination.
Eggplant Considerationseggplants of various sizes - Morgantimartina/Shutterstock
While eggplant can be grilled, there are also other culinary avenues you may consider exploring. Circular slices of grilled eggplant are eye-catching, but roasted eggplant develops a beautiful caramelized skin that will glisten atop the ramen. Minced eggplant can also be used in place of chunks or slices and piled on top of the noodles and soup. Mincing the eggplant also allows you to remove the charred blackened skin, which is best if it has taken on a burnt taste.
It's also essential to consider what type of eggplant you will use. You're likely already acquainted with globe eggplants, which are plump and round with a deep purple hue. This variety holds its form well when grilled and absorbs oil while cooking for a creamy yet tender center. Chinese eggplants are another great alternative that has a slightly sweet note and can be grilled whole. They are fairly similar to Japanese eggplants, which are just a tad smaller. All of these types will work well if you want to capture that smoky essence in your ramen.
Eggplant makes a delightful, smoky addition that will elevate your bowl of ramen. It delivers on taste, texture, and presentation -- don't knock it till you've tried it.
Read the original article on Daily Meal.
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The Best Type Of Eggplant To Use For Stuffed Dishes
There's an infinite array of ingredients with which to make Mediterranean stuffed eggplant. You can go the Moroccan route with chermoula and lamb, the Lebanese with spiced beef and onions, the Greek with béchamel sauce and feta cheese, or the Spanish route with pork and mozzarella. But it's important to pick the right one when you're buying eggplant to stuff.
In general, you want to avoid varieties that lack the volume you would want for stuffing; that means staying away from the thinner, more delicate varieties, such as Chinese and Japanese eggplants. But size isn't the only factor to consider when prepping. Italian eggplants, American eggplants, and even the smaller graffiti eggplants are all sturdy enough to be stuffed.
It's also important, whether you're stuffing them or not, that you pick the best-looking, freshest eggplants you can find, and avoid those that might be browning or soft to the touch. Look for eggplants that are firm, with their skin still intact — that means no bruising or discoloration — and green stems.
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Globe Or American Eggplantglobe eggplants - Caftor/Shutterstock
As far as eggplant varieties go, the American type is the most common in the U.S. — and that's because they're one of the few varieties that are available year-round. Thankfully, they're also ideal for stuffing. Not only are American eggplants the largest variety — reaching sizes as large as 12 inches in length — but they also have a nice meaty texture that will hold the weight of all of your stuffing ingredients, which means the more the better. As long as you pick one that's fresh, and prepare it correctly, your stuffing will be in good hands. With American eggplants, you can pull out all the heavy hitters — rice, couscous, tomatoes, meat, you name it.
Just like any eggplant, American eggplants need time to evaporate out the liquid before you prep and cook them further, and this is especially important when you're preparing them stuffed. Whether you're incorporating canned tomatoes or rice, eggplants have a habit of absorbing liquids that can make them tricky to work with. To avoid this, Daniel Boulud recommends sweating your eggplant. This one extra step will help remove bitterness and ensure all of your ingredients cook up the way you want them to. The other trick to stuffing American eggplants is to take note of their size and give them more time to cook if needed. Yes, while size will produce more stuffing, it also means more time in the oven.
Italian EggplantItalian eggplant - Bergamont/Getty Images
Unlike American eggplants, you won't typically find Italian eggplants at the grocery store until they come into season during the summer. But, when that time of year does come, they're a worthy substitute for your stuffed dishes. Although slightly smaller in size, Italian eggplants have a sweeter flavor and slightly more tender texture compared to American ones. However, they're still surprisingly good for stuffed dishes — especially if you're going with an Italian recipe. Tomato sauce, mozzarella, Italian sausage, and basil together with the mined tender eggplant flesh are some of the obvious stuffing candidates here.
As is outlined in Tasting Table's 13 tips for cooking eggplants — bigger isn't always better, and Italian eggplants are proof of that. They work in any preparation you'd use an American eggplant for, however, they're particularly good in stuffed dishes because of their softer texture. Of course, as with any other type of eggplant, you'll want to let them sweat first to achieve that and, while they are called Italian eggplants, they'll work well with any ingredients you choose. Plus, because they're a touch smaller, they'll cook up faster than you're probably used to.
Graffiti Eggplantgraffiti eggplants - Ewa Studio/Shutterstock
Graffiti eggplants are another seasonal variety, and they're a great substitution to look for to switch up your stuffed eggplant dishes during the summer months. These eggplants are even smaller than the Italian variety, and their flesh varies in color from white to light purple. They're called graffiti eggplants because of the striped design on their skin, and tend to have more of a teardrop shape to them — but that won't have any effect on your stuffed eggplant dish. While sweeter and more tender than your typical American eggplant, they do the job well.
Graffiti eggplants are commonly used as substitutes for American eggplants, and they work in every application that they would — including your stuffed dishes. What makes them different than other varieties of eggplant, though, is that they have much smaller seeds (a great choice for picky eaters). This makes them ideal for roasting and eating whole, as you would if you stuffed them. Stuffing-wise, graffitis will go with anything, but their fun skin inspires a bit of something extra. For these, go for whole chickpeas with a drizzle of pesto and tahini to finish.
Read the original article on Tasting Table.
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Quick And Easy Chinese Steamed Eggplant
Many people dislike the eggplant's spongy texture, but that's what makes this fruit – yes, it is actually a berry even though it is generally thought of as a vegetable –appealing to cooks; it absorbs the flavour of other ingredients. It's also notorious for absorbing oil when it's fried, but that's not a problem with this recipe, where the eggplant is steamed.
Mix the cooked eggplant and the sauce at least 30 minutes before you plan to serve the dish, so the flavours can blend. This recipe makes a lot but the dish keeps well in the fridge. When you want to eat the leftovers, you might need to mix in a little hot water, to thin out the sauce.
Buy Chinese or Japanese eggplants that are as thin as possible. If they are too large in diameter, you will need to cut them lengthwise into quarters, rather than halves.
When buying sesame paste and sesame oil, look at the ingredients label: both should contain only sesame seeds. With the former, some producers often add peanuts (and/or starch); with the latter, they sometimes mix in other types of edible oils. If you can't find Chinese or Japanese sesame paste, substitute tahini made from toasted sesame seeds.
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