Yuxiang aubergine with shiitake mushrooms
Yuxiang, aka fish-fragrant, is a well-known Chinese sauce, often used with aubergines. Here, Ching add mushrooms too.
Ingredients
For the yuxiang sauce
- 100ml/ 3½fl oz cold vegetable stock
- 1 tbsp tamari or low sodium light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp Chinese black rice vinegar
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 2 pinches of caster sugar
- 1 tbsp cornflour
For the aubergines
- 2 tbsp rapeseed oil
- 200g/7oz baby aubergines, trimmed and quartered lengthways
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 red chilli, deseeded and finely diced (optional)
- 2.5cm/1in piece fresh root ginger, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 tbsp chilli bean sauce (also known as doubanjiang or toban djan, avaliable from large supermarkets or Asian-specialist stores)
- 200g/7oz fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced
- 2 spring onions, trimmed and finely diced
- small handful coriander, stalks finely chopped, leaves separated
To serve
- freshly cooked jasmine rice
Method
Place all the ingredients for the sauce in a jug. Stir well and set aside.
Heat a wok over a high heat until smoking, then add 1 tablespoon of rapeseed oil. Once hot, add the aubergine and cook for 5 minutes, stirring, until browned. As you cook it, keep adding drops of water, up to 50ml/2fl oz in total. This will create steam to help soften the aubergine. Once cooked, transfer the aubergine to a plate and set aside.
Return the empty wok to the heat and add the remaining rapeseed oil. Add the garlic, ginger and chilli bean paste along with the red chilli if using and stir for a few seconds.
Return the cooked aubergine to the wok and add the sliced shiitake mushrooms. Pour over the sauce and bring to a bubble, cooking for 3–4 minutes on a high heat until the sauce thickens. Stir in the spring onions and coriander stalks.
Garnish with the coriander leaves and serve immediately with jasmine rice.
