Pan-Roasted Eggplant With Peanut-Chile Sauce

Name: Pan-Roasted Eggplant With Peanut-Chile Sauce
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Ingredients: 2 eggplants, about 1 pound each; Kosher or sea salt; 1/4 to 1/2 cup roasted peanuts, crushed or chopped, more as desired; 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin; 1 medium garlic clove, pounded to a paste or finely chopped; 2 to 3 tablespoons sambal oelek, Sriracha or other red chile paste, more to taste; 7 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil, more as needed; 1 (2-inch) piece fresh ginger, cut into fine julienne; 2 large or 3 small scallions, white and light green parts only, chopped or thinly sliced lengthwise into fine julienne; 1/2 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves

Recipe from Cal Peternell

Adapted by Julia Moskin

Pan-Roasted Eggplant With Peanut-Chile Sauce — Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini.

Total Time: 30 minutes
Rating: 4(604)
Comments: Read comments

The chef Cal Peternell, who ran the Chez Panisse kitchen for many years, has a knack for inventing vegetable dishes that are infused with complex flavors. In this recipe, he weighs the eggplant slices down while they roast (like chicken under a brick), which presses out extra liquid and forms a magnificent crust. Finished with a rich, spicy ginger-peanut sauce and sparked with cool, crunchy fresh herbs, it's equally satisfying room temperature as a salad or warm as a vegetarian entrée, served with rice. —Julia Moskin

Featured in: The 19 Best Cookbooks of Fall 2018

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings

2eggplants, about 1 pound each
Kosher or sea salt
¼ to ½cup roasted peanuts, crushed or chopped, more as desired
¼teaspoon ground cumin
1medium garlic clove, pounded to a paste or finely chopped
2 to 3tablespoons sambal oelek, Sriracha or other red chile paste, more to taste
7tablespoons olive or vegetable oil, more as needed
1(2-inch) piece fresh ginger, cut into fine julienne
2large or 3 small scallions, white and light green parts only, chopped or thinly sliced lengthwise into fine julienne
½cup loosely packed cilantro leaves

Ingredient Substitution Guide

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Preparation

Step 1
Prepare two heavy skillets: One large skillet and one medium skillet that fits inside the large one. Wrap the medium skillet in foil.
Step 2
Using a vegetable peeler, peel wide strips of skin off the eggplants lengthwise, so that they are striped. Cut them crosswise into ¾-inch thick rounds, and sprinkle them with about 1 teaspoon salt.
Step 3
Make the sauce: In a bowl, combine the peanuts, cumin, garlic, 2 tablespoons chile paste, a pinch of salt and 3 tablespoons oil. Taste and adjust the seasonings with chile paste and salt.
Step 4
Heat the oven to 200 degrees and place a large baking sheet in it to warm.
Step 5
In the large skillet, heat 3 tablespoons oil over medium heat until just shimmering. Working in batches, add a single layer of eggplant slices and place the medium skillet on top to press the eggplant flat. Cook, adjusting the heat so you hear the sound of sizzling (not popping, which would indicate burning). Check the color after 3 minutes. When nicely browned all over, about 5 minutes, flip the rounds and place the medium skillet on top again. Cook the other side until lightly browned, about 4 minutes, and transfer to the hot sheet pan in the oven. Add more olive oil to the pan and repeat with remaining eggplant.
Step 6
When all the eggplant slices are cooked, lightly wipe out the large skillet and reheat over low heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil, swirl to heat through and add ginger. Let sizzle, stirring, until just beginning to brown, then scrape the cooked ginger and oil into the peanut sauce. Stir and taste again.
Step 7
To serve, arrange the eggplant slices on a platter. Use a spoon to drizzle sauce over the top (you might not use all the sauce). Scatter scallions and cilantro on top.

Ratings

4 out of 5

604 user ratings

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Comments

Figaro6 years ago

To avoid the two-pan deal, brush eggplant slices with olive oil on both sides and cook in your panini grill. Less mess and no turning. You can make the sauce while they are cooking. The recipe says to peel strips lengthwise. I think the peeling method here is purely for aesthetics. Leaving the skin on gives the eggplant slices more intergrity. This recipe sounds yummy.

Alexandra6 years ago

Honestly I skipped the whole double pan nonsense and just roasted the eggplant slices in the oven - I'm sure it would've been marginally better, but is it worth all the work? Sauce was delicious

Judy6 years ago

Looks great but the picture clearly has the skin on yet the recipe calls for you to peel it off???

Charis V10 months ago

The sauce is the star of this show, as I could not get my eggplant to crisp. I ate it with rice and a fried egg and it was overall delicious! I followed someone else's suggestion to add the white scallion parts to the ginger oil fry, and it was fabulous.

Charis V10 months ago

The sauce is the star of this show. I followed another suggestion to add the whites of the scallions to the ginger oil fry, and tossed the cilantro and greens into the sauce. It was a delight, eaten with rice and a fried egg. My eggplant did not crisp, but I'm not mad about it.

Doug Johnston11 months ago

Didn't have peanuts--substituted roasted salted pistachios. Doubled the garlic. Resulting sauce was amazingly good.

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