Recipes, re-invented from cooking shows
Classic Braised Yuxiang Eggplant
Prep. Time:
20 minutes (including 15 minutes salting)
Baking Time:
12 minutes
Total Time:
32 minutes
Serves:
4 servings (as part of the full dish); 2 servings standalone
Laurence created this dish for Top Chef ™ Season 23. The braised preparation is the soul of the full yu shiang eggplant dish — eggplant pieces fried until golden, then tossed in a Carolina Reaper-spiked yuxiang sauce until deeply glossy and lacquered. Salting the eggplant before cooking is the essen...
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Ingredients
CLASSIC BRAISED YUXIANG EGGPLANT
Chinese eggplant, long and thin | 3 medium | 450 g | Halved lengthwise, cut into 2-inch pieces
Kosher salt | 1 tsp | 4 g | For drawing moisture
Neutral oil, peanut or grapeseed | 3 tbsp | 45 ml
Yuxiang sauce base | 1 batch | as prepared | See Yuxiang Sauce Base recipe
Chicken or vegetable stock | ¼ cup | 60 ml
Sesame oil, toasted | 1 tsp | 5 ml
Scallions, sliced | 3
Fresh cilantro | small handful | ~10 g
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Instructions
CLASSIC BRAISED YUXIANG EGGPLANT
1. Toss the eggplant pieces with kosher salt and spread on paper towels or in a colander. Allow to sit for 15–20 minutes to draw out excess moisture. Pat thoroughly dry.
2. Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a wok over high heat until just smoking. Add the eggplant in a single layer — work in batches if necessary — and cook, turning occasionally, for 4–5 minutes until golden and tender but still holding their shape. Remove with a spider skimmer and drain on paper towels. Pour off most of the oil from the wok.
3. Return the wok to medium-high heat with a thin film of oil. Add the bloomed yuxiang sauce base and stock. Bring to a simmer, return the fried eggplant, and toss to coat thoroughly. Cook for 2–3 minutes until the sauce clings and the eggplant is deeply glossy. Finish with a drizzle of sesame oil. Taste and adjust — the sauce should be boldly spicy, savoury, with a back note of sourness and a hint of sweetness. Scatter with sliced scallion and fresh cilantro to serve.
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