Asian-inspired Roasted Eggplant

While the studding of the eggplant and roasting it over an open flame will be very familiar, the flavours imbued through the seasoning are most definitely Asian. Scallion (green onion) oil with a subtle hint of toasted sesame oil along with fish sauce balanced with fresh lime juice makes this dish of fire-roasted eggplant outstandingly delicious. And yeah, when presented, it is easy on the eye. It is an elegant dish to serve as an entrée to pescatarians (persons who do not eat meat but do eat fish).

Making the dish is easy. Start by making the sauces and setting them aside, then roasting the eggplant. It is important that you use a large eggplant for this dish because the vegetable shrinks when cooked. A large roasted eggplant will serve 2, or 1 depending on appetite.

Here’s what to get and how to make this Asian-inspired Roasted Eggplant.

INGREDIENTS

For scallion oil:

• 6 scallions/green onions (purple heads are perfect)
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 3 – 4 tablespoons vegetable/Canola oil
• ¼ teaspoon toasted sesame oil

For seasoning:

• 1 ½ tablespoons fish sauce
• Fresh lime or lemon juice to taste

For roast:

• 1 large eggplant
• Thinly sliced garlic

DIRECTIONS

For scallion oil:

• 

  Thinly slice the scallions, white/purple and green parts. Toss with salt and set aside. Meanwhile, heat vegetable/canola oil until hot but not smoking. Add scallions and cook for 10 – 15 seconds only. Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl, stir in the sesame oil and leave to cool.

For seasoning:

• Mix together fish sauce and lime juice and taste. Fish sauce is salty so you want to balance it with the lime/lemon juice so it is more like a pickling liquid. Adjust to suit your taste. Set aside.

For roast:

• Make deep incisions into the eggplant and fill each slit with a slice of garlic. Roast over a medium-to-low open flame until the outside skin is charred and the flesh soft and cooked through. Set aside to cool. When cool enough to handle, remove the charred skin keeping the stem intact.

Assembling & Dressing:

1. Lay the peeled eggplant onto a rimmed dish and gently press the flesh with a knife or fork to spread it out like a fan.
2. Generously spoon the fish-lime sauce all over the eggplant.
3. Spoon the scallion oil over the eggplant and serve.

NOTES

• For some heat, I added sliced hot peppers to the green onions before adding to the heated oil.
• The eggplant can be roasted ahead of time and then be reheated before dressing and serving.