If you would rather keep this savory fish-fragrant eggplant recipe completely vegetarian, you can simply swap out the minced pork for finely diced shiitake mushrooms and swap the oyster sauce for a vegetarian oyster-style sauce.

　　This recipe offers options for both deep-frying and pan-frying. Don’t ever pour excess oil down the drain—here’s a guide to how to discard cooking oil.

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What you’ll need

　　Chevron

　　Chevron

　　Chili Bean Paste, pack of 2

　　$24 At Amazon

　　Chinkiang Black Vinegar

　　$11 At Amazon

　　Shaoxing Rice Wine

　　$10 At Amazon

　　

Ingredients

Serves 2-4 alongside other dishes

　　

For the eggplant

2 Chinese eggplants

　　1 clove of garlic

　　1 large fresh red chile, deseeded (optional, depending on preferred spice level)

　　½ a thumb-size piece of ginger

　　A small handful of fresh cilantro

　　3½ oz. (100 g) minced pork (4 finely diced soaked shiitake mushrooms for vegetarians)

　　1¾ cups (14 oz.) vegetable oil (or less if pan-frying the eggplant)

　　

For the marinade

½ Tbsp. oyster sauce

　　½ Tbsp. soy sauce

　　¼ tsp. sugar

　　1 tsp. pure sesame oil

　　

For the sauce

1 Tbsp. chile bean paste

　　½ Tbsp. oyster sauce

　　¾ cup (7 oz.) chicken stock

　　1 tsp. sugar

　　1 tsp. Chinkiang black rice vinegar

　　½ Tbsp. Shaoxing rice wine

　　

Step 1

Leaving the skin on, cut the eggplants in half lengthways. Then cut them into 3–4 cm (1¼–1½ inch) chunks, to end up with approx. 12–16 pieces (depending on the size of your eggplants).

　　

Step 2

Finely chop the garlic, chile, ginger, and cilantro, taking care to keep the chile and coriander separate. Mix all the sauce ingredients together in a bowl. Tip the minced pork into a separate bowl, then add the marinade ingredients and mix well.

　　

Step 3

Now build your wok clock: place your eggplant pieces at 12 o’clock, then arrange the garlic, ginger, marinated minced pork, chile, the sauce bowl and lastly the cilantro clockwise around the plate.

　　

Step 4

If deep-frying, put the vegetable oil into a wok and heat to 350°F, or use a wooden skewer or wooden chopstick to test by placing the tip in the oil: if the wood starts to fizz after a second or two, the oil is hot enough. Carefully add the eggplant pieces and fry for 3 minutes, to immediately seal in their moisture and flavor. Have a metal or ceramic bowl ready with a metal sieve placed on top. Pour the eggplant and oil into the sieve to drain the excess oil, setting the aubergine aside for later.

　　

Step 5

If you prefer to pan-fry rather than deep-fry, place the eggplant pieces in a mixing bowl and massage well with 1½ Tbsp. of oil. Heat a frying pan on a medium heat and cook the eggplant, flesh side down, for 3–4 minutes per side, until both sides are browned. Put into a bowl and set aside for later.

　　

Step 6

Return the wok to the hob on a medium-high heat. Add the ginger and garlic, immediately followed by the minced pork, and begin to stir-fry, breaking up the meat and browning it well. Bring the wok to a high heat and, once smoking hot, add the sauce and bring to a vigorous boil. Put the aubergine back into the wok and reduce the heat to medium-low, allowing the sauce to simmer and caramelize around the eggplant pieces. Cover with a lid and boil for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

　　

Step 7

Scatter over the chopped cilantro and serve.

　　From Hong Kong Diner: Recipes for Baos, Hotpots, Street Snacks and More by Jeremy Pang and Adrienne Katz Kennedy. Reprinted with permission from Quadrille, an imprint of Hardie Grant Publishing.Buy the full book from Amazon or Bookshop.