Roasted Fairy Tale Eggplant

 

Roasted Fairy Tale Eggplant

6-8 fairy tale eggplant sliced in half lengthwise
1 large garlic clove peeled and micro-minced
1 inch fresh ginger peeled and micro-minced
4 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 teaspoons mirin or rice vinegar
pepper to taste, no salt needed due to soy
1 tablespoon sesame or hemp seeds

You know by now I like to try different foods. This week it is fairy tale eggplant which are diminutive eggplant with a beautiful purple and white striped skin. Prepare marinade of 1 large garlic clove micro-minced and one inch of fresh ginger micro-minced. Four tablespoons of low sodium soy sauce, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, 2 teaspoons of mirin. Cut fairy tale eggplant in half lengthwise and submerge a large baggie in the marinade. Massage eggplant in the marinade to coat the exposed surfaces. Add more soy or mirin if you don't have enough marinade. Marinate for one hour.

Brush small baking dish with olive oil and place eggplant cut side up. I was out of sesame seeds so I sprinkled hemp seeds on top for texture. Bake in preheated 375 F oven for 30 minutes. These eggplant have a creamy custard texture to the interior. To me the skins were tougher than I expected. With the marinade they were delicious, however the creamy texture might not be to the liking of some folks. I served them with a sour cream dipping sauce but it was not needed. I'm wondering if these should be peeled beforehand and some type of sauce made with them. I'll explore further.