Grilled Eggplant – Donburi-Ya
Grilled Eggplant with Tangle Flakes in Dashi Broth -Kojiro Saeki-
Eggplant is considered a summer vegetable in the US, but in Japan people believe eggplants taste better in autumn. This month, Mr. Kojiro Saeki, executive chef/manager of Donburi-Ya in midtown Manhattan, creates a dish full of seasonal flavors by combining eggplant with wild mushrooms, another autumnal favorite. The key of this recipe is to use tangled flakes of kelp. People often make soup stock with dried kelp, and the tangled flakes add a subtle “extra flavor” to the dish. Also, kelp contains a gelatin-like, slimy ingredient that can thicken dashi broth. “If you master the right balance of dashi broth and tangled flakes, you can apply it to many other dishes. They would be tasty either cold or hot,” says Chef Saeki.
Donburi-Ya
137 E. 47th St., (bet. 3rd & Lexington Aves.)
New York, NY 10017 TEL: 212-980-7909
Ingredients (Serves 1-2 people)
1 eggplant
1 king oyster mushroom
1 bunch shimeji mushrooms
1 pinch tangle flakes*
(for marinating broth)
150cc dashi broth (bonito flavor)
25cc usukuchi soy sauce**
25cc mirin
*Tangle flakes are flaked kelp sold under the name of Tororo Konbu and are often used in clear soups and rice balls.
**Usukuchi soy sauce has a lighter color than regular soy sauce and is also saltier. It is used to maximize ingredients’ colors.
STEPS
1. Make a few thin cuts on the surface of the eggplant and grill until skin becomes crispy.
2. Skin the grilled eggplant and cut into bite-size pieces. [photo A]
3. Cut king oyster mushroom into bite-size pieces and split shimeji mushroom by hand into pieces of a similar size.
4. Mix all the ingredients for broth and add mushrooms. Heat it to a boil. [photo B]
5. Remove heat and add tangle flakes to broth. [photo C]
6. Add eggplant into broth and marinate it for about an hour until the ingredients soak up the flavor of the broth.
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