Garlic Eggplant

A quick and flavorful way to prepare Chinese eggplant using a hot oil technique that infuses the garlic flavor throughout.

Ingredients

• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 large Chinese eggplant
• Soy sauce
• Sesame oil
• 1-2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil

Instructions

• Mince (2 cloves) garlic and set aside.

• Cut (1 large) Chinese eggplant into wedges roughly the size of your thumb. Put them in a bowl, cover with a plate and microwave on high for 3-4 minutes. They should be very tender, like they were steamed.

• Heat up (1-2 tablespoons) oil in a pan. Make sure it is very very hot — the oil should be smoking.

• Put the minced garlic in a dense pile on top of your eggplant. Pour the hot oil over the garlic, and let the oil seep down and spread the flavor through your eggplant. It should sizzle on contact!

• After letting sit for a minute, add a generous amount of soy sauce until your eggplant is much darker. Then add a few drops of sesame oil. Mix thoroughly, let sit for a few more minutes to absorb the flavor. Enjoy!

Notes

• The key is getting the oil very hot before pouring over the garlic
• Chinese eggplant works best because it's less bitter and more tender