This way of cooking eggplant makes the flesh soft and creamy. The miso glaze sweetens it with a Japanese flair.

　　

Ingredients

serves 6

　　

Marinade:

2 tablespoons sherry

　　1 tablespoon soy sauce

　　1 tablespoon peanut oil or vegetable oil

　　3 small thin eggplants, 5 or 6 inches long (about 1 1/4 pounds)

　　

Glaze:

1 tablespoon sugar

　　1 tablespoon rice vinegar or cider vinegar

　　1/4 cup light miso

　　1 tablespoon sesame seeds, whole or ground

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 400°. Whisk together the marinade ingredients.

　　

Step 2

Cut the eggplants in half lengthwise, leaving the stems on. Using a sharp paring knife, score the flesh of each half in a crosshatch pattern, taking care not to puncture the skin. Place cut-side up on an oiled baking pan. Drizzle marinade over the eggplant halves. Cover with foil and bake until tender to the touch, 15 to 20 minutes.

　　

Step 3

Meanwhile, to prepare the glaze, stir the sugar and vinegar into the miso.

　　

Step 4

When the eggplant halves are tender, remove them from the oven, spread generously with the glaze, and sprinkle on the sesame seeds. Return them to the oven and bake, uncovered, for about 5 minutes more. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.

　　

Serving & menu ideas

Step 5

Serve Miso-Glazed Eggplant on rice or noodles with Easy Baked Tofu (page 64) and a spinach salad. For a snack, scoop out the soft interior with a spoon and serve with crackers. To make a meal of it, add Mushroom Miso Soup (page 128).

　　From Moosewood Restaurant Simple Suppers: Fresh Ideas for the Weeknight Table. Copyright © 2017 by Moosewood Collective. Published by Clarkson Potter, an imprint of Penguin Random House, LLC. Buy the full book from ThriftBooks or Amazon.