Eggplant With Garlic Sauce

Submitted by Leslie in Texas

"I found this recipe in a 1981 issue of Bon Appetit. It was in the Great Cooks section featuring a "Chinese New Year's Feast"."

 

• Ready In: 1hr
• Ingredients: 22
• Serves: 8

ingredients

• 12 ounces pork tenderloin, cut in matchsticks (freeze for 30 minutes before slicing)
• 1 tablespoon dry sherry or 1 tablespoon Chinese wine
• 1⁄2 egg white
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch

• Sauce

• 6 tablespoons chicken broth
• 2 1⁄2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 1⁄2 tablespoons vinegar
• 1 1⁄2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch, dissolved in
• 1 teaspoon water
• 1 tablespoon chili paste with garlic
• 1 tablespoon dry sherry or 1 tablespoon Chinese wine
• 4 cups vegetable oil
• 12 ounces eggplants, peeled and cut into finger-size strips
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1⁄2 green bell pepper, cut into 2x1/6-inch strips
• 1⁄2 red pepper, cut into 2x1/6-inch strips
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
• 1⁄3 cup diced green onion
• 1⁄2 teaspoon sesame oil

directions

1. Place pork in mixing bowl.
2. Add sherry, egg white and salt and mix with hands until egg white is foamy.
3. Add cornstarch and mix again until smooth.
4. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
5. For Sauce: Combine broth,soy sauce.vinegar,sugar,dissolved cornstarch, chili paste and wine or sherry in small bowl and mix well; set aside.
6. Heat 4 cups oil in wok or deep fryer to 350 degrees.
7. Add eggplant in small batches and fry until lightly colored.
8. Drain on paper towels,pressing to remove as much oil as possible.
9. Let same oil cool down to 280 degrees.
10. Add pork and stir constantly until pieces separate.
11. Cook 1 minute longer; drain in sieve.
12. Can be done 6 to 8 hours ahead to this point and refrigerated.
13. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in wok or large skillet over high heat.
14. Add peppers, ginger and garlic and stir-fry 10 to 15 seconds.
15. Add eggplant, pork and sauce (stir before adding) and stir-fry gently until heated through and sauce is bubbling and thickened.
16. Stir in green onion.
17. Remove from heat and stir in sesame oil; serve immediately.

Reviews

[gypsygal]

Outstanding! DH and I loved it! I did make one change only. I didn't want to use 4 cups of oil - just not needed. I stir fried the pork in two batches in about 1 tablespoon of peanut oil, in a hot wok, till not pink and lightly browned. I lightly browned the eggplant in the wok with 2 Tbs. oil, adding the peppers, green onion (the white part), ginger and garlic. I then added 2 Tbs. water to the wok and covered it. Cooked the veggies till almost done. Combined the pork and veggies, added the awsome sauce with the chili sauce with garlic (all I had). It was served over rice. The sauce makes the dish. It's the perfect blend of sweet, tart and heat. I took your suggestion and started prep early in the day making putting supper on the table "so easy". This would make a great company dish! This is definately our new favorite. Because we like sauce, I will double the sauce in the future. Yes! I will make this again and again. Thank you. :)