Fish-flavored Eggplant Recipe
When I was a kid, whenever my family made fish-flavored eggplant, the unique sour, sweet and spicy taste always made me hungry. Today, I want to share this delicious dish with you, so that we can reminisce about that simple and beautiful time together.
What is Fish Flavored Eggplant
Fish-flavored eggplant is a classic Sichuan dish. Although no fish is used, a fish-like aroma is created by cleverly mixing various seasonings, hence the name "fish-flavored".
It is said that this dish originated from the folks of Sichuan and has a history of hundreds of years. It is said that a long time ago, there was a businessman in Dazhou, Sichuan, who loved to eat fish and was very particular about seasoning. One day, when the hostess of the family was frying eggplant, in order not to waste the ingredients left over from cooking fish, she added all these ingredients to the eggplant. Unexpectedly, this delicious dish with endless aftertaste was created. Because it was fried with the ingredients of cooking fish, this dish was named "Fish-flavored Eggplant".
Today, fish-flavored eggplant has become a classic Sichuan dish, and is loved by diners at home and abroad.
Ingredients Needed and Substitutions
Ingredients needed to make the perfect fish-flavored eggplant include:
Eggplant: Eggplant is the main ingredient in this dish, with its delicate texture, adding taste and nutrition to the dish.
Side dishes: Onions, ginger, and garlic provide aroma and color to dishes, increasing the flavor and visual effect of the dishes.
Seasoning:
Cooking wine, soy sauce, and vinegar: used to remove fishy smell and enhance the flavor and taste of dishes.
Sugar and cornstarch: used to adjust the sweetness of dishes and thicken them, balance the flavors of other seasonings, and enhance the taste of dishes.
Sichuan peppercorns, chopped chili peppers, and bean paste: provide a salty and spicy taste to the dishes, adding to the flavor and taste of the dishes.
Substitutes:
Cooking wine: can be replaced by rice wine, yellow wine or sake.
Soy sauce: It can be replaced with light soy sauce, dark soy sauce or black bean sauce.
Cornstarch: Can be replaced with corn starch, potato starch or yam starch.
Sichuan peppercorns: can be replaced with pepper powder, chili powder or five-spice powder.
Chopped chili peppers: You can use chili sauce, chili powder or chili oil instead.
Bean paste: can be replaced with sweet noodle sauce, chili sauce or fermented black bean sauce.
Why is it called fish-flavored eggplant?
It is said that the name of fish-flavored eggplant comes from its unique seasoning. Traditionally, the seasoning method of this dish is similar to the seasoning method of cooking fish in Sichuan. Although no fish is actually used, the sour, sweet and slightly spicy taste makes people feel as if they can taste the deliciousness of fish, hence the name "fish-flavored".
There is also a little story that goes like this: a long time ago, a chef in Sichuan accidentally mixed the ingredients of roasted fish into the eggplant when cooking it, and accidentally created this unique flavor. After tasting it, the diners praised it highly and asked the name of the dish. The chef suddenly had an idea and called it "Fish-flavored Eggplant".
What is the difference between Eggplant and Chinese Eggplant?
In my opinion, eggplant and Chinese eggplant are different names for the same vegetable, with the main difference being in region and language habits. Here are some specifics:
Regional differences:
Global Common Name: Internationally, this vegetable is often called "eggplant" or "aubergine".
Chinese regional differences: In mainland China, we usually call it "eggplant". In Taiwan and Hong Kong, eggplant is sometimes called "Chinese eggplant", mainly to distinguish different types of eggplant and emphasize its Chinese characteristics.
Types of eggplant:
Common varieties: There are many varieties of eggplant, the most common ones are purple eggplant, green eggplant and white eggplant.
Variety Differences: While these eggplant varieties may differ in appearance and taste, they all belong to the nightshade family and have similar nutritional profiles and basic properties.
Tips for Success
Eggplant processing tips
Choosing eggplants is crucial. Long or round eggplants are fine. If it is a long eggplant, wash it and cut it into long strips. If it is a round eggplant, cut it into small pieces and soak it in salt water for a while after cutting. This can prevent the eggplant from oxidizing and turning black, and can also reduce the amount of oil absorbed by the eggplant during cooking.
Try to drain the eggplant as much water as possible before putting it into the pan. This step is very important, otherwise oil will easily splash when frying the eggplant.
Fried eggplant tips
When frying eggplant, the oil temperature should be high. Put the eggplant in when it is about 60% hot (about 160℃). If it is long eggplant strips, put them in batches to avoid sticking. Fry until the surface of the eggplant is slightly golden and then take it out. If you like a softer taste, you can fry it again, so that the eggplant will be softer.
Tips for making fish sauce
Fish-flavored sauce is the soul of this dish. Generally, 2 spoons of sugar, 2 spoons of vinegar, 2 spoons of soy sauce, 1 spoon of bean paste, appropriate amount of chopped pepper (minced), and minced garlic are mixed and stirred evenly. The ratio of sugar and vinegar can be fine-tuned according to your own taste. If you like it sweeter, add more sugar, and if you like it sour, add more vinegar.
Stir-frying techniques
Leave a little oil in the pan, add the prepared fish-flavored sauce, stir-fry over low heat until the oil turns red and the aroma comes out, then add the fried eggplant into the pan and stir-fry quickly so that each piece of eggplant is evenly coated with the fish-flavored sauce. Finally, sprinkle some chopped green onions as a garnish, and a delicious fish-flavored eggplant is ready.
INGREDIENTS
Main Ingredients
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·500g eggplant
Accessories
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·10g onion
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·10g ginger
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·10g garlic
Seasonings
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·10ml Cooking wine
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·20ml soy sauce
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·30ml vinegar
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·40g sugar
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·50ml Shimizu
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·10g Cornstarch
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·5g Sichuan peppercorn
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·20g Chop the chili peppers
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·30g Bean paste
COOKING STEP
Step 1
Eggplant processing: Cut the eggplant into pieces and soak them in a basin of water to prevent the eggplant from oxidizing and turning black.
Step 2
Prepare the ingredients: cut the green onion into shreds, ginger into shreds, and garlic into flakes. At the same time, add 10ml cooking wine, 20ml soy sauce, 30ml vinegar, 40g sugar, 50ml water and 10g cornstarch into a bowl and stir well to make the sauce.
Step 3
Stir-fry the eggplant: Pour oil into the pan, add the eggplant after the oil is hot, stir-fry until it changes color. Add some cooking oil during the process to ensure that the eggplant is heated evenly. After frying, serve and set aside.
Step 4
Stir-fry the Sichuan peppercorns: Add a little oil to the pot, put in the Sichuan peppercorns and stir-fry until the aroma comes out. After the Sichuan peppercorns are fragrant, remove them and leave the bottom oil.
Step 5
Stir-fry until the oil turns red: Add chopped chili peppers and bean paste to a pan with some oil in it, stir-fry over low heat until the oil turns red to enhance the color and flavor of the dish.
Step 6
Add onion, ginger, garlic and eggplant: Add the chopped onion, garlic and ginger, stir-fry for a few times, then put the previously fried eggplant into the pot.
Step 7
Add sauce and serve: Pour in the prepared sauce, stir-fry quickly to evenly coat the eggplant with the sauce, stir-fry evenly and serve.
Serving Suggestions
Recommended pairing:
Staple food:
Rice: Fish-flavored eggplant is a killer for rice! The rich and mellow fish flavor, salty, sweet, sour and spicy, the eggplant is soft and tasty. Use it to mix rice, every grain of rice is covered with sauce, the satisfaction is simply indescribable.
Steamed buns: Soft steamed buns with fish-flavored eggplants are also great. The juice of the eggplant seeps into the steamed buns, and the wheat aroma of the steamed buns and the fragrance of the eggplant complement each other, creating a unique flavor.
Side dishes:
Cold cucumber salad: The refreshing cold cucumber salad can neutralize the strong taste of fish-flavored eggplant. The crispness of the cucumber brings a refreshing feeling to the mouth, relieves greasiness, and makes the whole dining process more refreshing.
Stir-fried bean sprouts: The freshness of bean sprouts is paired with fish-flavored eggplant. The lightness of bean sprouts can balance the taste, while increasing the intake of dietary fiber, making this meal more nutritionally balanced.
Serving Suggestions:
It is best to eat fish-flavored eggplant while it is hot. The hot eggplant has a softer texture, and the flavor of the fish-flavored sauce can be better released, and the various flavors blend more perfectly.
Although fish-flavored eggplant is delicious, it may absorb a lot of oil during the cooking process, so you should eat it in moderation to avoid consuming too much fat. If you are in the fat-reducing period, you can reduce the amount of consumption or choose a less-oil cooking method.
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