Gochujang-Glazed Eggplant With Fried Scallions
- Total Time
- 45 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:4 to 6 servings
- 1pound Asian eggplant (about 3 large; preferably Korean, or Chinese or Japanese), halved lengthwise and cut into 4- to 5-inch segments
- 1teaspoon kosher salt
- 2tablespoons gochujang
- 1tablespoon soy sauce
- 2packed teaspoons dark brown sugar
- 1teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 2garlic cloves, finely grated
- ½cup olive oil
- 4scallions, trimmed, cut into 3-inch segments, then very thinly sliced lengthwise, white and green parts separated
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
177 calories; 16 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 11 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 9 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 5 grams sugars; 2 grams protein; 364 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered byPreparation
- Step 1
Place the eggplant in a colander set inside a large bowl or the sink. Sprinkle with the salt, toss to combine and let sit for 30 minutes to remove excess moisture.
- Step 2
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, add the gochujang, soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil and garlic. Whisk to combine, then set aside.
- Step 3
To a large nonstick skillet, add the olive oil and the white parts of the scallions. Turn the heat to medium and fry the scallions, stirring often, until crispy and evenly browned, about 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the fried scallions onto a paper towel.
- Step 4
Reserve a small handful of raw scallion greens for garnish, then fry the remaining scallion greens in the oil until crispy and lightly browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer fried scallion greens onto a paper towel.
- Step 5
Remove the skillet from the heat and carefully pour the hot scallion oil into a glass container or measuring cup.
- Step 6
After the 30 minutes of salting, dry the eggplant segments with a paper towel. Place the skillet over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons of the reserved scallion oil.
- Step 7
When the oil starts to shimmer and you see a wisp of smoke, add half the eggplant, cut sides down, and fry until browned and starting to soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip once and cook another minute on the other side. Transfer to a plate, add 2 more tablespoons of scallion oil back to the pan, and repeat to fry the second batch of eggplants. (If you are lucky enough to have any scallion oil left, use it to fry eggs or to dress a salad.)
- Step 8
Finally, sauce the eggplants: Add the first batch of eggplants back to the pan alongside the second batch. Reduce the heat to medium-low and pour the reserved gochujang sauce over the eggplants. Toss until evenly coated and the gochujang starts to caramelize, about 1 minute.
- Step 9
Plate the eggplants on a large platter and garnish with the fried scallions and the reserved raw scallion greens. Serve immediately. (To store for later, transfer to a resealable container and keep in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days. This dish tastes great cold, straight out of the fridge, or at room temperature.)
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
Joanna
Brilliant recipe - the scallions are the star!!. I used a wok. You can do the scallions more simply by starting with the white parts and adding in the green as the whites just start to color. Putting a lid on the wok while cooking the eggplant makes sure they get nice and soft. We served with steamed Bok Choi with a white miso/lime dressing and white rice.
Kevin
"Sprinkle with the salt, toss to combine and let sit for 30 minutes to remove excess moisture." excess moisture moisture sture ure re e .
absolut_foodie
I have never salted the thin style eggplants and they have never been bitter. I skipped this step and the result was still delicious.
nyrkr
I was certain I had gojuchang in my fridge but someone (me) must have used it up without replacing it. I had already prepared the eggplant and scallions when I became aware of this tragic situation, so needed to improvise. I used a combination of miso and sambal olek in place of the gojuchang, and the results were spectacular. I can't wait to make it again as written.
Stef
I saw in the NYTCooking Instagram story that Eric Kim suggested zucchini as a substitute for eggplant, and I was super excited to try it that way. Very tasty! Will definitely be making it again.
Marian V.
This is delicious. The fried scallions are tricky. I used a wok and it did not take 3 minutes for them to crisp up. Watch the scallions carefully and take them out with a spoon as they crisp up.
Cook from Chapel Hill
I baked eggplant wedges @ 400 degrees to cut down on fat content and it worked really well for the recipe. One warning I have: the recipe says to caramelize the eggplants in the sauce. There is a very fine line between caramelizing and burning. A second too much will give a burnt bitter flavor!
Marcella
This was excellent exactly as written. (Except substituting grapeseed oil as I didn’t have light olive oil. In my opinion, any neutral oil with a high smoke point will work. Other than that, please, please just make it as written.) I made steamed rice and quick pickled cucumbers in rice vinegar and sugar to go with it and together, it was perfection. This dish definitely benefits from being paired with an acidic element. The scallion slicing took time but overall an easy weeknight meal.
Zabel
I would get gochujang paste- used for cooking. The sauce is for dipping, putting on top of bibimbap etc. (Sauce would be sweeter, more liquid, and less of a fermented flavor)
cameron
Loved this recipe! I ended up cooking the eggplants much longer than stated. Maybe it is a personal preference, but I like it when the eggplants almost fall apart. New favorite eggplant dish.
CaptainNY
This was awesome. Used globe eggplants 'cause that's what the store had, tasted great. Next time will cut into bite-size cubes (4" segments plated attractively, but a little hard to eat). Used an entire large bunch of scallions - highly recommend making more scallions than just 4! Served with rice and quick-pickled red cabbage.
lolasmama
The sauce was amazing. I love, love, love the eggplant, it melts in your mouth. But I would eat that sauce on cardboard.
Peter Marx
Wow. Made this exactly as written and it was just outstanding! Whole Foods didn't have Asian eggplants so I used regular baby ones and it was fantastic. Served it over toasted brown jasmine rice. Amazing!
Christopher
Made this as written tonight. I followed recommendation of another reviewer and used gochuchang paste rather than sauce. I added just 2T of water before cooking to thin the glaze a bit. My wife loved it! Could definitely find other ways to use the sauce.
Amy D.
Mixed a little miso into the gochujang and soy sauce for some extra funk. Subbed out shallot oil for the scallion oil and it was delicious! No sugar needed.
Tessa
I love to sub eggplant for zucchini in the summer - get the mini ones, cut them in half lengthwise, and score them, serve over rice ! my absolute favorite summer meal
Maita
This was a hit! Very pantry adaptable. Perfect with eggplant. I’m gonna try it with zucchini and portobello next.
P. Cooper
I enjoyed every morsel. Delicious, delightful and so easy to make. Thank you!
mark j
I followed the recipe, but the Chinese eggplant I could find (made in spring when the choices are fewer) was about 2.5 inches in diameter so I quartered them and the cooked fully. Sauce is delicious and the scallions were worth the effort. I’m putting it on the elegant dinner for a small group list.
Kate Cph
Lovely. Will make again.
Lynn
Used Egyptian walking onions from the garden and garlic chive tops and just as good as store scallions. Crunchy tangled fried onion-y bits on top, killer recipe and not as fussy in terms of time as it first sounds.
Elizabeth
Made this with two recipes from Eric Kim’s cookbook: fried chicken and chicken radishes. Served with rice and kimchee and it was all utterly delicious. A bit of work but I’ll definitely make it again.
Rochelle
Delicious! Definitely some kick to it. Thanks Eric!!!
Jenny Upstate
I used this sauce and scallions with roast Cauliflower tonight and it was excellent! I can't wait to actually try it with eggplant.
pjoe
I added a vented lid to my cast iron pan while frying the eggplant, the skin was just right and the flesh soft. I decreased the oil by 1 tablespoon. I doubled my scallions since they were small. I deglazed the pan with a sweet balsamic vinegar. The meal is delicious!
Julie
Y'all must be better cooks than I am, because I ended up with mush. No caramelization here!
Olivia
I used a skillet and followed another's suggestion to use a lid for steaming. Doubling the recipe works perfectly, even without doubling the scallion oil.
Ken
Beautiful recipe as written- instantly garnered heavy rotation. Sometimes I break a slab of tofu up tearing it by hand (kinda into nuggets if you will) coat with corn starch and shallow fry until golden crispy. I make extra sauce and then combine the tofu into the completed eggplant (or zucchini). This is just an alternative, usually we just want to simple elegance of the original recipe. Eric Kim is fabulous.
Sara
Cooking the eggplant took a little longer than I expected. Used two big leeks because I had them (but no scallions) this is very very delicious. My plan is cold work-week lunches- but my family might eat this up before it’s cool. That sauce !!!!
The Thyme Savor
Anybody ever used thinly sliced shallots instead? Too lazy to head out at rush hour on a Friday to grab only scallions.
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