Sichuan Eggplant

Vegetarian · Chinese classic.

Ingredients

• 1.5 pounds sliced Egg Plants
• 2 tablespoons Peanut Oil
• 1/4 cup Chicken Stock
• 2 tsp Sugar
• 1/2 tsp Soy Sauce
• 1 ½ tbsp Chilli Bean Paste
• 2 tsp Sichuan Pepper
• 2 tsp Ginger
• 5 cloves Garlic
• 1 tsp Cornstarch
• 2 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar
• 4 Chopped Scallions
• Garnish Cilantro

Method

1. Continue cooking — This recipe calls for asian eggplants, or Japanese eggplants.
2. Continue cooking — They are long and thin compared to a European or globe eggplant, and much more tender and delicate.
3. Continue cooking — If you can't find them you can substitute globe eggplant, but the dish is really best with the asian eggplant.
4. Continue cooking — *A lot of grocery stores have Asian ingredient aisles now.
5. Serve — You should be able to find chili-bean paste, a mixture of preserved chilies mixed with mashed soybeans, there or at any Asian market. (Do not confuse with black bean paste or chili-garlic paste.)
6. Continue cooking — **Sichuan peppercorns are available at some stores and online for quite cheap.
7. Continue cooking — They aren't spicy like other peppers but rather have a citrusy flavor and induce a tingly, numbing sensation like a carbonated drink.
8. Continue cooking — Prep eggplant, chili sauce, cornstarch slurry, vinegar and scallions:
9. Prep and chop — Begin your mise en place. Quarter the eggplant lengthwise and chop into large batons and set aside.
10. Mix together — In a small bowl, mix together the chicken stock, sugar, and soy sauce and set it aside.
11. Mix together — In a second bowl, mix together the chili bean paste, garlic, ginger, and sichuan peppercorns and set it aside.
12. Mix together — In a third bowl, mix together the cornstarch with a tablespoon of water and set it aside.

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• Kung Pao Chicken
• Pork Dumplings
• Egg Fried Rice
• Mapo Tofu
• Sweet and Sour Pork
• Chow Mein