Vegan Miso Glazed Eggplant

Vegan Miso Glazed Eggplant

• 1 large eggplant

• 2 teaspoons sesame oil

• 1 teaspoon salt

Glaze:

• 1 tablespoon white or yellow miso paste

• 2 teaspoons sugar

• 2 tablespoons mirin

• 1 teaspoon sesame oil

• 1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar

• 2 teaspoons of tamari or soy sauce

1. Preheat the oven to 425º. Cut the eggplant into 4 quarters lengthwise. Then cut those 4 spears in half diagonally.

2. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of salt all over the flesh of the eggplant. All the salt to draw out some of the moisture for 10 minutes.

3. After 10 minutes, drizzle the sesame oil on the flesh of the eggplant. Place the eggplant flesh side down on a baking sheet.

4. Roast for 20 minutes and then rotate eggplant 90º so the other side of the flesh in now in contact with the baking sheet and roast for another 20 minutes.

While the eggplant is roasting, make the glaze.

1. In a small saucepan, combine miso paste, sugar, mirin, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar and tamari.

2. Whisk together until smooth on medium high heat. When it starts to bubble, lower heat to simmer and allow it to reduce to a caramel like texture.

3. This process should take about 30 minutes on a low simmer. Swirl the sauce around every 3-5 minutes to prevent burning. Once it has hit the consistency of a smooth caramel, turn it off and set aside.

4. Pull the eggplant out of the oven and turn it flesh side up.

5. Using a silicon brush, coat the eggplant in with the miso glaze. Make sure every little bit of the eggplant is nicely saturated in the glaze.

6. Put the eggplant flesh and glaze side up back into the oven. Roast at 425º for about 3-5 minutes. Be careful not to burn here.

7. The eggplant should be glistening about slightly blackened or candied looking when you take it out!

Serve with white rice and my spicy pickled cucumber salad!