Serve with Congaree and Penn Purple Rice Congee, grilled cabbage, benne seeds and seared scallions for a flavorful, Asian-inspired vegetarian dinner.
Ingredients
- 2 cups sake
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup sorghum
- 2 cups red miso
- 1/4 cup sesame oil
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sriracha sauce
- 4 quarts cold water
- 2 sheets kombu seaweed
- 3 quarts kombu dashi broth (or use water)
- 2 cups Congaree and Penn Purple Rice Grits
- Kosher salt to taste
- 2 to 3 pounds Japanese eggplant, cut in half and into 4 to 5-inch planks
- 1 head green cabbage, sliced into ½-inch wedges, and seared in a cast iron pan
- 1 bunch scallions, seared
- 1/4 cup toasted benne or sesame seeds
Instructions
For Miso Glaze: In a medium pot, bring sake to a boil for one minute to cook out the alcohol. Add sugar and sorghum and whisk until dissolved. Add miso and whisk until dissolved. Add sesame oil, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar and sriracha sauce. Reduce down by half. Chill until needed.
For Kombu Dashi: Pour water over kombu in a large pot. Bring water to 160º, or just under poaching temperature. Strain off the broth and set aside for later use.
For Congee: Heat the dashi broth in a large pot. When it reaches a boil, pour in rice grits and whisk often to avoid clumping and sticking to the pot. The congee will take about 30 minutes to reach a porridge consistency. If it gets too thick and the rice is cooked through, add water to the desired consistency. Season to taste with salt.
To Assemble: Preheat oven to 350º. Sear eggplant on one side in large skillet, about 2 to 3 minutes. Place eggplant, seared side up, on sheet pan and spoon miso glaze on top of each slice. Bake for 5 to 7 minutes so the glaze reduces to a syrupy consistency and the eggplant is just cooked through. While eggplant is baking, sear cabbage and scallions. Remove eggplant from oven and sprinkle benne seeds all over the eggplant so the seeds stick to the miso glaze.
To Serve: Spoon 1 cup of congee into each bowl, place 2 pieces of eggplant on top of the congee and 1 piece of cabbage next to the eggplant. Lay 1 or 2 pieces of scallions across the top of the eggplant.
