Miso-Grilled Eggplant (Nasu Dengaku)

Ingredients

• 2 eggplants (Japanese, Chinese, or Italian work especially well)
• Neutral oil, as needed

Sweet Miso Glaze

• 3 tbsp miso
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp mirin
• 1 tbsp sake

Directions

• Trim the stems from the eggplants and cut them in half lengthwise.
• Make shallow diagonal cuts, about 2 mm deep, into the skin side of each eggplant.
• Prick the flesh side several times with a toothpick.
• Brush both sides of the eggplant with oil (brushing rather than pouring oil into the pan uses much less oil).
• Heat a frying pan over medium heat and cook the eggplant until tender and nicely browned.
• Mix the miso, sugar, mirin, and sake thoroughly. Spread the glaze generously over the flesh side of the eggplant.
• Place under a grill or broiler and cook until the miso glaze is bubbling and lightly caramelized.

Dengaku is a traditional Japanese dish of grilled ingredients topped with a sweet-savory miso glaze. From Cook Modern Japanese At Home on Instagram.