Roasted Eggplant Salad with Chinese Trinity Dressing

Post date: Jan 21, 2019 10:22:10 PM

(Adapted from David Tanis, "Spicy Eggplant Salad with Sesame Oil," NYT Cooking.)

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Peel eggplants in alternating lengthwise strips, leaving 4-6 stripes down the entire length of each eggplant. Slice each eggplant in half, legnthwise; then, flat-side down, slice on the diagonal to yield approximately 3"x1" pieces.

Drizzle EVOO on baking sheet(s). Spread eggplant over in roughly single-but-packed layer. Drizzle with more EVOO and season with salt and FGBP.

Bake/roast eggplant (as if making ratatouille) for 25-30 minutes, tossing and re-spreading with metal spatula every 10 minutes. Eggplant should be soft and shrunken but not dessicated.

While eggplant is roasting, make Chinese Trinity Salad Dressing: In a bowl or glass measuring cup, combine garlic, ginger, lime juice, soy sauce, rice vinegar, kosher slat, brown sugar, sesame oil, hot pepper oil, and EVOO. Whisk, tasting and adjusting seasonings, as needed.

Pour dressing over eggplant and toss to combine. Cover and refrigerate. Let flavors meld for several hours or overnight. Toss occassionally to distribute flavors and taste-test progress.

Prep cilantro, scallions, serranos, and chile threads:

• • Rinse cilantro 3 times. Remove nice leaves using thumbnail. Discard or save stems for another use. Scatter cilantro leaves between 2 layers of paper toweling. Roll up so paper towels absorb water from leaves. Place rolled cilantro in ziploc bag, removing excess air.

  • Clean scallions by removing compromised outer layer and rubbing away "slime" mono-layer. Remove root ends. Slice on the diagonal into 1/8" julienne.Store in separate ziploc bag and refrigerate with cilantro.

  • Wearing rubber gloves, slice serranos in half lengthwise. Remove seeds and ribs. Slice at an angle into julienne. Store in separate ziploc bag and refrigerate with cilantro and scallions.

  • Separate chile threads and bag in separte ziploc to protect from moisture. Store with cilantro, scallions, and serranos.

  • Squeezing out all excess air, place cilantro, scallions, serranos, and chile threads in separate ziplocs, but store all together in larger bag or container for easy retrieval when ready to serve.

Remove eggplant from fridge about an hour before serving. Reserving some from each ziploc bag for garnish, add bulk of cilantro, scallions, serranos, and chile threads to eggplant and toss to combine. Place on a platter or in a bowl. Garnish with reserved cilantro, scallions, serranos, and chile threads to make a nice green-red pattern. Serve cold or at room temperature.