I love how vegetables can take a leading role at mealtimes in China. Instead of being the supporting side dish, veggies can (and do) take centre stage. Accustomed to a “meat and two veg” style of meal, I recently stumbled upon a dish which contained a vegetable that managed to satisfy my inner carnivore; the aubergine.
Aubergines are a very popular vegetable as they as their flesh is soft, substantial and can soak up a lot of beautiful flavours. One dish I have fallen for is Stewed Aubergines & Mushrooms; comforting, flavourful and filling. This was the best recipe I could find and recreate.
Serves: 3
Method: Stew
Time: 40 minutes
Difficulty: 5/10
INGREDIENTS
- 2 medium sized aubergines (sliced into 6 long wedges, keep in salted water until you are ready to cook them!)
- 16 dried shiitake mushrooms
- 4 gloves of garlic (finely chopped)
- 2-3cm piece of ginger (peeled and sliced)
- 2 medium red onions (sliced)
- 2 tbsp groundnut oil
- 200-300ml stock (fish preferably, but meat or veg stock is fine)
- 1 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine
- 1 ½ tbsp oyster sauce
- ½ tbsp fish sauce
- 2 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- Salt and pepper
DIRECTIONS
All these ingredients are staple items for any kitchen in China, so you should have no worries finding all in a supermarket! When buying the aubergines, make sure they are not too soft as the cooking will turn them into a sloppy goo; give them a good squeeze before you buy them.
- Put the shiitake mushrooms in a bowl and soak in boiling water for 10 minutes. Drain and keep half of the water for later. Heat the oil in a wok on a medium-high heat and then add the garlic and ginger.
- Quickly fry for around 30 seconds, then add the onions. Cook for 5 minutes until they start to soften and colour on the edges. Lower the heat if the onions start to burn. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Add the shiitake mushrooms and fry for 1 minute. Gradually add about 100ml of your stock and allow to reduce slightly. Keep stirring the onions and mushrooms which will help them to absorb some of the stock. Add around 4 tbsp of the mushroom soaked liquid and then the rice wine vinegar, dark and light soy sauce, oyster sauce and fish sauce.
- Drain the aubergines and add to the wok, followed by the rest of the fish stock until the aubergines are coated in the sauce. Cover the stew with a lid, lower the temperature slightly and leave to cook gently for 15-20 minutes until the aubergines are soft but still hold their shape.
- Serve up your stew in bowls and drizzle with a little sesame oil.
This dish is a one pot wonder. Whilst it does seem like a lot of ingredients, the main preparation you need to do is measuring out liquids and slicing a few veg. You need to keep an eye on the amount of liquid you put in and the texture of the aubergine. Too much liquid turns the stew into a broth and too little can make the dish too intense in flavour. So keep checking your stew to make sure you have a good consistency. Do not stew the Aubergines for too long; they will become a mush and unpleasant in texture. The end result is mind blowing in flavour and my friends adored it. You can enjoy it on its own or with a bowl of steamed rice to help soak up that sauce. I can assure, you can serve this to any devout carnivore with an end result of amazement and fulfilment. Will you be a convert?