Nasu Deganku - grilled aubergine in sweet miso

This is a classic japanese dish of miso-glazed aubergine. It is ususally made using half an aubergine as the serving vessle and cooked in the oven, but here it has been deconstructed to create a faster version utilising the skin to be eaten too. It is an utterly addictive dish and served in many Japanese eateries across the globe.

Serves 4 as an accompanying

1/2 mooli

1/2 cucumber

2 large aubergine

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

300 ml. rapeseed oil

1 tablesppon sesame oil

100 grams standard miso paste

2 tablespoon caster sugar

1/2 bunch spring onions

Wash the aubergines and then cut into disk of 1.5 centimtre thick. With a pointy of a filleting knife criss cross the flesh side of each disk, lines 1 centimetre apart and about 3 millimtre deep. Dress the aubergine in salt and leave to rest in a colander for 30 minutes.

Heat the oven to 160 degress C.

Make the mooli salad following the recipe here. Clean spring onions and cut into ultra thin slices, use both white and green part, soak in cold water for 20 minutes, drain and put a side. Mix miso paste with sugar and mirin, mix well and decant into a squeeze bottle.

Rinse of the salt and dap each dry with a kitchen towel. Brush the aubergine on each side wirh sesame oil.

Heat the rapesed oil in a wok to 170 degrees C and fry 3-4 peiecs at the time for 1-2 minutes in each side until just golden. Wth a slotted spoon transfer aubergine to a baking sheet lined with parchement paper.

Cook int he oven fro 10 minutes until cooked thorugh and all soft in the middle.

Drain mooli salad and devide between 4 plates, place 2-3 disk of aubergine on top, drizzlle with the remainder of the miso dressing and sprinkle with spring onions. Ready to serve.