In Vietnam, small clay charcoal-fired braziers are used to cook dishes like this smoky eggplant topped with scallion and served with a garlic-chile dipping sauce. Here in the States, I often make this dish in the summer when the farmers’ market is brimming with an incredible array of eggplants. (The vegetable is at its sweetest in August and September.) You can cook the eggplant over a gas burner, or even bake it, but you’ll have the best results on a grill. Small globe eggplants, meaty Italian eggplants, and slender Japanese eggplants all work well for this recipe.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 4 with 2 or 3 other dishes
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
To expose each eggplant fully to the heat, peel off the pointy flaps of the cap but leave the stem attached. Use a fork to poke 6 to 8 sets of holes into each eggplant to prevent it from exploding while cooking (skip this step if you are oven roasting).
Step 2
To cook the eggplants on a grill, prepare a hot charcoal fire (you can hold your hand over the rack for only 2 to 3 seconds) or preheat a gas grill to high. Grill the eggplants, turning frequently, for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the skin is black and dry and the flesh is soft. To cook the eggplants on a gas stove top, turn on the burner to high and place the eggplants, one at a time, directly on the burner grate. Cook the eggplant, rotating it often, for 10 to 15 minutes, or until it has sagged and is pleasantly smoky and charred. Run the exhaust fan during cooking to avoid filling your kitchen with smoke. If the eggplant isn’t sufficiently soft in the middle, finish it off in a preheated 450°F oven. To oven roast the eggplants, position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 450°F. Split each eggplant in half lengthwise and place, cut side down, on an aluminum foil–lined baking sheet. Roast for 30 to 45 minutes, or until the eggplant halves are soft and oozing a bit of juice.
Step 3
When the eggplants are cool enough to handle, remove the skin. (The eggplants may be cooked and peeled several hours in advance of serving, covered, and kept at room temperature.) Cut the flesh crosswise into 2-inch sections. Use your fingers to separate the flesh into strips, placing them in a lovely pile on a serving plate. If the strips weep lots of liquid, pour it off the plate. Top with a mound of scallions.
Step 4
In a butter warmer or small saucepan, heat the oil until it starts to smoke. Remove from the heat and immediately pour the oil over the scallions. The scallions will sizzle as they sear from the hot oil. Serve at once with the dipping sauce.
