Sichuan Fish-Fragrant Aubergine
SICHUAN · CHINA

Sichuan Fish-Fragrant Aubergine

鱼香茄子Side

Yu xiang — 'fish-fragrant' — is the greatest sauce in Sichuan cooking, and it has never met a fish. Sweet, sour, salty, hot and garlicky all at once, it soaks into silky braised aubergine until every piece is a sponge for chilli oil.

Total
40 min
Heat
3/5
Serves
4

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Flavour profile

Heat
Funk
Acid
Richness
Umami
  • Garlicky
  • Spicy
  • Sweet Sour
  • Umami

The real deal

Region
Sichuan, China. The yu xiang seasoning is Chengdu's signature flavour profile, traditionally spooned over fish.
Technique
Aubergine salted first, then shallow-fried to collapse it before the sauce is built in the same wok and the aubergine returned to drink it up.
We kept
Real yu xiang: Pixian chilli bean paste, garlic and ginger in equal weight, sugar and Chinkiang vinegar in balance. No fish, as it should be.

Ingredients

4 Serves

aubergine

  • 600 g · cut into batons
  • 1 tsp
  • 2 tbsp

fry

  • 120 ml
  • 2 tbsp

Sauce

  • 2 tbsp · Pixian, finely chopped
  • 4 cloves · minced
  • 20 g · minced
  • 3 · white parts minced, greens sliced
  • 2 tbsp · optional · chopped
  • 150 ml
  • 2 tbsp
  • 2 tbsp
  • 1 tbsp

finish

  • 1 tsp
  • 1 tbsp · optional

Method

  1. Cut into thick batons, about 6 cm long and 1.5 cm wide. Toss the batons with 1 tsp and leave them in a colander for 15 min to weep. Squeeze gently and pat dry.

    Salting keeps the aubergine from drinking the whole wok of oil.

  2. Toss the dried batons with 2 tbsp until lightly coated.

  3. Mince , and the white parts of . Slice the green tops and keep them aside. Chop if using. Stir together , , and . Park it by the stove.

  4. Heat 120 ml in a wok over high heat until it shimmers. Fry the aubergine in batches until golden and soft, about 3 min per batch. Lift out and drain.

    Keep the oil hot but never smoking, or the starch will burn before the aubergine collapses.

  5. Pour off all but 2 tbsp , lower to medium heat, and add . Stir until the oil turns red and the paste smells nutty, about 1 min.

    Doubanjiang scorches in seconds. Keep it moving and pull the wok off the heat if it darkens too fast.

  6. Add the garlic, ginger, spring onion whites and pickled chilli. Toss for 30 sec until fragrant but not browned.

  7. Return the aubergine, pour in yu xiang sauce, and toss to coat. Simmer for 4 min until the sauce thickens and clings to each piece.

  8. Kill the heat. Stir in , scatter the spring onion greens, and drizzle if you want it hotter. Serve at once.

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