SICHUAN BRAISED EGGPLANT RECIPES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 150C. Heat 50ml oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Brush eggplant with remaining oil and cook in batches, turning, until golden (3-5 minutes). Transfer to a casserole dish.
• Add pork to pan and stir occasionally until cooked (3-5 minutes). Add peppercorns and stir until fragrant (1-2 minutes), then add ginger, garlic and chilli bean paste, and stir until colour deepens (1-2 minutes). Add stock or 100ml water, soy sauce and vinegar, and bring to the boil, then pour mixture over eggplant, cover with a lid or foil and braise for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remove cover and braise until eggplant is very tender (45 minutes to 1 hour).
• Serve hot scattered with coriander and shallots, dotted with prickly ash oil to taste, and with steamed rice to the side.

Steps:

• Toast the Sichuan peppercorns in a dry frying pan over medium heat for about a minute or until fragrant. Use a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder to grind to a fine powder. Set aside for later. Heat the vegetable oil in a wok or large non-stick frying pan over high heat. Add the garlic, ginger and chillies and stir-fry for half a minute. Add the pork and stir-fry for about 2 minutes. Then mix through the Sichuan peppercorn powder. Now add the soy sauce, vinegar, oyster sauce, sugar, chicken stock and Shaoxing wine. Combine and bring back to a simmer. Add the eggplant and toss to coat. Cover with a lid, turn the heat to medium and simmer for 30 minutes (be sure to check halfway through the cooking time to make sure there’s adequate liquid in the pan. If the mix looks too dry, add a ¼ cup of water). Remove the lid and stir through the corn flour mixture. Stir for a couple of seconds or until the sauce is thick and glossy. Sprinkle over the spring onion and serve. *Chinese Shaoxing cooking wine, Chinese black vinegar and Sichuan peppercorns can be found in the Asian section at some supermarkets or from an Asian grocer. Substitute white vinegar if Chinese black vinegar is not available.