by Roy Yamaguchi with John Harrisson
from Roy’s Fish & Seafood: Recipes from the Pacific Rim
(Ten Speed Press, 2005)
Serves 4 as a main course
This recipe was inspired by childhood memories of my mother cooking eggplant in the Okinawan style, with miso. It was a dish I was particularly fond of, and here I’ve added my two cents’ worth to my mother’s recipe and paired it with fish, which makes a great combination. Serve with steamed rice.—Roy Yamaguchi
convert Ingredients
For the eggplant misoyaki
1/4 cup red miso (aka miso)
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon mirin
1 tablespoon sake
4 Japanese eggplants, halved lengthwise
1/4 cup olive oil
For the mahi mahi
Four 7-ounce mahi mahi fillets
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
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Directions
Make the eggplant
1. Prepare a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill or preheat a closed gas grill to 450°F (230°C). Preheat the broiler.
2. Combine the miso, sugar, mirin, and sake in a bowl. Stir until the sugar dissolves.
3. Score the eggplant halves in a crisscross pattern, about 1/16 inch deep and 1/2 inch apart, and brush with the olive oil. Grill the eggplant, flesh side down, for 3 to 4 minutes, until cooked halfway through.
4. Transfer to a roasting pan and baste the eggplant skin with the miso mixture. Place under the broiler, flesh side up, and cook 3 to 4 minutes longer, until the eggplant skin is caramelized. Set aside and keep warm.
Make the mahi mahi
1. Season the mahi mahi with salt and pepper to taste.
2. Heat the oil in a stainless-steel saute pan or skillet over medium-high heat until the oil is hot and shimmering. Sear the fish for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until opaque throughout.
3. To serve, place 2 eggplant halves in parallel fashion on each plate and arrange the fish on top.
Recipe © 2005 by Roy Yamaguchi. All rights reserved.
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[Shelly Sinton] A showy presentation that delivers a sensational dining experience. The white mahimahi displayed against the purple skin and caramelized golden flesh of the eggplant is mouthwatering. The miso-basted eggplant contrasts nicely with the mild-flavored fish.
I didn’t make the fish in this recipe–which looks grilled in the picture although it is to be pan-seared–but made the eggplant and it was very tasty. Changed the procedure a little though. After grilling flesh-side down, I rubbed the miso mixture all over the eggplant halves, not just on the skin. I broiled it skin-side up initially to get that side cooked through and then flipped them over briefly to cook the miso mixture a little on the scored flesh. The eggplant halves were cooked nicely with slightly crispy skin, soft flesh and were perfectly seasoned. In future, I may just try finishing them on the grill after slathering with the miso. Would simplify things by not bringing them in to finish cooking. I’ll certainly be having these as a tasty side dish to lots of grilled meals this summer.
Thanks so much, Nancy, for the update and tips. So nice to be in the swing of grilling season…