This recipe is brought to you from Easy Gourmet, my first ever cookbook! You can preorder it here: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Books-A-Million and Indie Bound.
I am a huge eggplant fan, but it wasn’t always so. As a super picky kid who would only eat soy sauce and rice, eggplant seemed like it was the worst vegetable ever. I totally didn’t get why my mom and dad would always order eggplant when we went out for dinner. The couple of times my mom forced me to eat it, it tasted…slimy and kind of weird. It was definitely nothing to get excited about.
I’m not sure when I started to like eggplant, but now it’s one of my favourite vegetables. I LOVE it’s texture which is funny because as a kid, it was exactly what I hated about it. If you cook it right, eggplant has a dreamy, creamy texture that I can’t get enough of. If you’re not such a huge fan of eggplant, you should give this recipe a try. Even as a hardcore eggplant fan, the first time I tasted nasu dengaku, or miso broiled eggplant, was a revelation.
It was at a neighbourhood sushi joint – one that has quite a reputation. Everyone in line (yes, there’s a line, nightly) told me to try the eggplant. When it came to our table, I wasn’t convinced. It was extra brown and not particularly exciting looking. But after the first bite I was hooked – I had to recreate it at home. It’s super simple: bake up an eggplant, cover it with a miso, mirin, sake mixture, broil it and then it’s hello deliciousness! Baking eggplant softens and sweetens it into a delicious melty mess with the best texture. Add in a bit of caramelization and you’ve got a dish reminiscent of creme brûlée, only with a sweet and salty miso crust and a creamy eggplant custard.
i am miso-ed, i am caramelized: i am nasu dengaku!
Oven-Roasted Eggplant with Caramelized Miso Recipe
serves 2-4
- 1 tablespoon mirin
- 1 tablespoon sake
- 2 tablespoons shiro miso
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 Japanese eggplants, cut in half lengthwise
- 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
- toasted sesame seeds
- sliced green onions
Preheat the oven to 425°F.
Place the mirin and sake in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add the miso and stir until smooth. Stir in the sugar, and reduce to low. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, while you broil the eggplants.
Brush the cut sides of the eggplants with the sesame oil. Put the eggplants cut-side down on a baking sheet and place in the oven and roast for 15-20 minutes, depending on eggplant size, until they just start to shrivel. The flesh should be fork tender. Remove from the oven and turn them over.
Top the eggplants with all of the miso sauce and put them under the broiler until the sauce bubbles up and starts to caramelize, 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat, rest for 5 minutes and enjoy with sesame seeds and green onions!
Note: I used big eggplants here because that’s all I could find from the store. They taste just as good, but add a couple of minutes while baking. Usually when eating these, we just scoop out the flesh and leave the skin behind, but if you like eggplant skin, feel free to eat it, of course!
If you like this recipe, buy my book! It’s available at: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Books-A-Million and Indie Bound.
Oh my gosh that looks amazing. I love eggplant, especially the fresh stuff from the local farm…but roasted with all those spices and that miso sauce? Mmmm, I can taste it now. :)
Roasted eggplant is the way to go!
These look so wonderful! I love eating eggplant, but have never been very good at cooking it. Looking forward to trying these out!
Hope you get a chance to try these Sarah!
Oh Lordy! I love eggplant and fell in love with miso after trying it for the first time this weekend. I can already imagine the taste of both of them combined!
Miso + eggplant = WIN!
Oh my god, I’ve been dying to try this since I saw a sneak peek of it on your other post! And it’s so gorgeously simple — I’m beyond impressed and amazed. To top of it off, this may have been one of the best pieces of drool-inducing food writing I’ve read in awhile. You rock. Can’t wait to try this, Steph <3
Thanks Cynthia!! You’re too sweet! :D
I have been craving eggplant lately. Now, after seeing this recipe, I HAVE to buy some and try this!
Eggplants are definitely craving inducing veggies :)
The texture was exactly why I hated it as a kid, teenager, and young adult. I finally had it in a curry, but it was pureed and has this deliciously smooth texture that I never would have guessed was eggplant. It’s not my favourite veggie now, but I do like to cook with it once it a while.
When it’s super smooth, it’s delicious. I know some people have issues with the seeds. If you buy smaller eggplants, they don’t have as many seeds so they’re even smoother!
Oh man, this eggplant looks SO GOOD! I say this as someone who loves eggplant very much and who has definitely gone too long without cooking any. Must go get some ASAP!
Thanks so much Eileen! xoxo
Eggplant is like, my favorite thing ever. I love your note about how, at the right texture, it can be creamy and almost reminiscent of creme brulee. People always look at me like I’m crazy when I say that. Anyway… will you move to Portland and make this for me every night? We’ll be best friends forEVA.
When…(if) I move to Portland it will be next door to you and I will eat ALL your baked goods and you can come over for eggplant anytime! :D
These look so delicious! I just love eggplant, especially when it’s soft and creamy inside. I can’t wait to try this recipe- I wonder how it would work on the grill?
You could definitely do the roasting on the grill, but the caramelization might be a bit tricky as you need the heat source above the miso sauce. Or, you could roast on the grill and if you have a torch, just torch it at the end :)
This is total eggplant heaven. Love the recipe!
I wanna go to eggplant heaven! Thanks Katrina! xoxo