This recipe is brought to you from Easy Gourmet, my first ever cookbook! You can preorder it here:Amazon,Barnes and Noble,Books-A-MillionandIndie Bound.
I ama huge eggplant fan, but it wasn’t always so. As a super picky kid whowould only eat soy sauce and rice, eggplant seemed like it was the worst vegetable ever. I totallydidn’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-MillionandIndie Bound.
61 Comments
May 19, 2014 at 5:42 pm
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. :)
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steph says:
May 25, 2014 at 10:02 am
Roasted eggplant is the way to go!
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Sarah says:
May 19, 2014 at 6:09 pm
These look so wonderful! I love eating eggplant, but have never been very good at cooking it. Looking forward to trying these out!
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steph says:
May 25, 2014 at 10:02 am
Hope you get a chance to try these Sarah!
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Tammi says:
May 19, 2014 at 7:04 pm
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!
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steph says:
May 25, 2014 at 10:03 am
Miso + eggplant = WIN!
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cynthia says:
May 19, 2014 at 7:15 pm
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
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steph says:
May 25, 2014 at 10:03 am
Thanks Cynthia!! You’re too sweet! :D
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May 19, 2014 at 7:18 pm
I have been craving eggplant lately. Now, after seeing this recipe, I HAVE to buy some and try this!
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steph says:
May 25, 2014 at 10:04 am
Eggplants are definitely craving inducing veggies :)
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Megan @ hint of vanilla says:
May 19, 2014 at 7:32 pm
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.
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steph says:
May 25, 2014 at 10:05 am
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!
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Eileen says:
May 19, 2014 at 7:42 pm
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!
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steph says:
May 25, 2014 at 10:05 am
Thanks so much Eileen! xoxo
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May 19, 2014 at 7:44 pm
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.
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steph says:
May 25, 2014 at 10:06 am
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
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Anjanee @ Fig & Honey says:
May 20, 2014 at 1:04 am
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?
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steph says:
May 25, 2014 at 10:07 am
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 :)
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May 20, 2014 at 4:01 am
This is total eggplant heaven. Love the recipe!
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steph says:
May 25, 2014 at 10:07 am
I wanna go to eggplant heaven! Thanks Katrina! xoxo
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Leah Davis says:
May 20, 2014 at 5:01 am
This looks awesome!! I love eggplant and I’ve been wanting to experiment more with miso. Love that char/caramelization on top!!
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steph says:
May 25, 2014 at 10:07 am
Mmm…the caramelization is the BEST part! :D
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molly yeh says:
May 20, 2014 at 7:51 am
ooooh!!! eggplant creme brûlée i like the sound of that :)
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steph says:
May 25, 2014 at 10:08 am
Gosh, I should come up with more creme bruleed veggies….
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steph says:
May 25, 2014 at 10:08 am
Aww, this is the best comment! :D
xoxo
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Sophie says:
May 20, 2014 at 2:23 pm
I don’t think my family served eggplant much or ever when I was growing up, but I certainly love it now! You described this so temptingly, I can’t wait to make it myself! That crackly-caramelized top looks amaaaaazeballs
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steph says:
May 25, 2014 at 10:08 am
Thanks Sophie!! Hope you have a chance to make it! xoxo
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Carol at Wild Goose Tea says:
May 20, 2014 at 4:12 pm
How fabulous that the first time I check out your blog that it’s for eggplant. I adore eggplant. I can’t remember if I liked it as a kid or not. Oh yeah I did. How could I forgot. Oh that’s right, I’m old. Lol. Mom did the traditional procedure of dipping it in flour, egg and crumbs and frying it. It was one of my favorite dishes. This is a wonderful recipe. I am pinning it. I don’t want to lose track of it.
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steph says:
May 25, 2014 at 10:09 am
Mmm…I LOVE eggplant that has been coated in breadcrumbs and fried!
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amanda says:
May 21, 2014 at 4:20 pm
Yessss. I love miso glazed eggplant and luckily I have all this stuff in my pantry. Except the produce. I know what I’m making tomorrow night for dinner!!
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steph says:
May 25, 2014 at 10:09 am
I hope you had a chance to go out and get an eggplant Amanda! :)
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steph says:
May 25, 2014 at 10:09 am
Thanks Nadia!
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Rok Jurca (ROKCO) says:
May 26, 2014 at 5:57 am
Lovely. Great eggplan recipe. I’ve been doing mutabal recipe lately. Now that i’ve come acros this one, I will put it in my repertoar of eggplant recipes. Thank you!
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Shikha @ Shikha la mode says:
May 26, 2014 at 9:56 pm
There’s a lot of eggplant in Indian cooking so I’ve always loved it – this looks amazing!
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foodarts56 says:
May 28, 2014 at 2:59 pm
Steph, I am new to your blog but will be a regular from here on out. Beautiful images and layout..kuddos on the Saveur blog award. Just made your miso eggplant with some new harvest rice and it was a perfect meal. A scatter of black sesame seeds too.
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steph says:
May 31, 2014 at 10:18 am
thank you so much!! a big YES to the rice and black sesame seeds..sounds amazing :)
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Erika says:
June 2, 2014 at 1:29 pm
YEAH EGGPLANT!!!!! I was the EXACT same–HATED eggplant as a kid (was on my do-not-touch list along with mayo and mushrooms) and now I love it. You don’t get that creamy texture in just any vegetable! I even converted my boyfriend to loving it with a clay pot version I ordered at some vegetarian Chinese restaurant in SF (so good!).
Ever since seeing miso-glazed eggplant on Love and Lemons, I’ve been dying to combine the two! But hello describing it as eggplant CREME BRULEE is so genius, I must try your version. I’ll let you know how it goes ;)
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steph says:
June 4, 2014 at 2:35 pm
gasp! please tell me you love mushrooms now!?!? mayo i can take it or leave it, but mushrooms make my heart pitter patter!
and yes – claypot eggplant is da BOMB!
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mycookinghut says:
November 12, 2014 at 3:22 am
Looks absolutely yummy! Definitely will give this recipe a go!
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Nadyah says:
January 14, 2015 at 11:01 am
Where I come from there are no alcoholic drinks. What can I replace the mirin ans sake with?
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steph says:
January 14, 2015 at 3:37 pm
you could try vinegar with a bit more sugar added – hope that helps!
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Anwella says:
May 1, 2015 at 4:37 am
Have just cooked them and are delicious! Great recipe! Thanks for sharing it!
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Maggie says:
May 28, 2015 at 12:25 pm
I just cooked this dish for lunch today and it was so good! It’s amazing that how delicious the miso paste turned out, after blending in sake and sugar. I used very huge eggplant this time, so I sliced them to several pieces and they turned out great. Next time, I will try to get organic small eggplant and try them on the grill. I think the grill will give this one a great smokey flavor. Thanks so much for sharing this wonderful recipe :)
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Wendy says:
September 1, 2015 at 9:12 pm
I live in Vancouver, and I LOVE Toshi’s eggplant dish. Thanks for posting something that might get me close!
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Sara says:
March 11, 2016 at 6:15 pm
Cooked this today so delicious. Made my mouth so happy!
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Jay says:
June 18, 2016 at 9:24 am
What’s with it with all the folks commenting BEFORE they’ve tried the recipe? Don’t most of the readers want to know how the recipe worked as opposed to personal thoughts on how it looks? Maybe it’s just I who feels so?
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laura says:
November 18, 2016 at 2:12 pm
So delicious (I’m eating this right now)! What would you pair it with to make a complete meal? I’m always struggling to fill up my carnivorous boyfriend with vegan/veg meals.
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Stephanie Le says:
November 19, 2016 at 12:08 pm
i would absolutely just eat it with a bowl of rice! but if you want a meat that goes with, you can do the same sauce with chicken – just grilled your chicken first, the brush the sauce on and bake it. or i suspect these guys would go nicely: http://iamafoodblog.com/easy-oven-baked-sesame-chicken-thighs/
hope that helps!
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Mikey says:
August 27, 2018 at 4:08 am
I tried it, and it was delicious. I had to substitute dry vermouth for the sake, (drank all the sake), but still delicious!
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Gerry Ahrens says:
December 22, 2018 at 3:27 pm
Thx! Better idea. I was thinking of using a little gin! Still might ;~)
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Gerry Ahrnes says:
December 29, 2018 at 10:01 pm
Tried Dry Vermouth the first time, Sweet is mo betta.
Wing it!Reply
