SPICY CLAYPOT EGGPLANT WITH MINCED PORK (辣豆酱砂锅茄子)

Method17 steps · about 1 hr

1. 1

   Step 1: Pour enough hot water over the dried cuttlefish (20–30 g) to soften it. Once pliable, remove its transparent central bone, hard beak and eyes. Discard the softening water.

   Uses 20–30 g dried cuttlefish · Hot water used to soften the dried cuttlefish, then discarded

   
2. 2

   Step 2: Finely cut the softened cuttlefish and mix it with all 2 tbsp Chinese rice wine. Cover and refrigerate while preparing the remaining ingredients; keep both the cuttlefish and wine for cooking.

   Uses All softened cuttlefish, separate from discarded water and trimmings · 2 tbsp Chinese rice wine for the cuttlefish

   
3. 3

   Step 3: Mix the minced pork with all 1½ tsp marinade cornstarch, 1 tsp light soy sauce, ¼ tsp salt and 2 tsp marinade oil. Cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes while preparing the remaining ingredients. Do not rinse raw pork.

   Pork marinade ready · 20 minUses 180 g lean minced pork · 1½ tsp cornstarch for the pork marinade · 1 tsp light soy sauce for the pork marinade · ¼ tsp salt for the pork marinade · 2 tsp oil for the pork marinade

   
4. 4

   Step 4: Wash the dried shiitake mushrooms (2), then soak in hot water until fully soft. Squeeze gently, remove their stalks and finely chop the caps. Filter and refrigerate the retained soaking liquid promptly for another use; keep it separate from the 200 ml braise water.

   Uses 2 dried shiitake mushrooms · Water drawn for washing and hot-soaking the dried mushrooms

   
5. 5

   Step 5: Peel, rinse and drain the garlic, then finely chop it. Keep the two cloves for the braise separate from the twenty cloves for crispy garlic. Wash, dry and chop the parsley (1 stalk); slice the optional chilli and chop the optional spring onions before heating the wok. Set the garnishes aside.

   Uses 2 garlic cloves for the braise · 20 garlic cloves for crispy garlic · 1 stalk parsley for garnish · Optional large chilli for garnish · Optional spring onions for garnish · Water used to rinse peeled garlic and wash garnishes, discarded

6. 6

   Step 6: Mix all 1 tbsp finishing cornstarch with ½ tbsp slurry water. Keep this mixture separate from the pork marinade and eggplant coating, and stir it again just before adding it to the hot gravy.

   Uses 1 tbsp cornstarch for the finishing slurry · ½ tbsp water for the finishing slurry

7. 7

   Step 7: Heat all 6 tbsp crispy-garlic oil (6 tbsp) in a wok over medium heat. Add the chopped twenty-clove garlic batch and fry, stirring, until light golden. Turn off the heat and let the residual heat bring the garlic to golden; watch closely so it does not burn.

   Uses All twenty-clove crispy-garlic share · 6 tbsp oil for frying the crispy garlic

8. 8

   Step 8: Strain the fried garlic from its oil into separate heatproof containers. Reserve 3 tbsp of this garlic oil for the braise and some crispy garlic for garnish. Cool unused oil promptly, then refrigerate at 4°C/40°F or below for no more than 4 days, or freeze; keep the crispy garlic separately.

   Uses All fried garlic and garlic-infused oil

   
9. 9

   Step 9: Once the garlic batch is ready, wash and thoroughly dry the eggplant (350 g). Remove its stem end and cut lengthwise into 6 cm sticks. Coat the sticks with cornstarch from the 50–60 g allowance immediately before frying, then shake off excess coating.

   Uses 350 g eggplant · Cornstarch drawn from the 50–60 g coating allowance · Water used to wash the eggplant, discarded

   
10. 10

    Step 10: Heat all 300 ml eggplant-frying oil over medium-high heat. Fry the freshly coated sticks until their colour starts to change, then lift onto a paper-lined plate to drain. Let the remaining oil cool safely before transferring it to a heatproof bowl; clean and dry the wok for the braise.

    Uses All coated eggplant, separate from excess coating and trimmings · 300 ml oil for frying the eggplant

    
11. 11

    Step 11: Heat the reserved 3 tbsp prepared garlic oil in the clean wok over medium heat. Add the chopped two-clove garlic share and fry until aromatic but not browned.

    Uses 3 tbsp drawn from the prepared garlic-oil batch · All two-clove braise-garlic share

12. 12

    Step 12: Add all 2½ tbsp chilli bean paste to the aromatic garlic and stir well.

    Uses All aromatic garlic and prepared oil in the wok · 2½ tbsp ready Taiwan chilli bean paste

    
13. 13

    Step 13: Add the marinated minced pork and stir-fry for about 1 minute, breaking up the mince. Continue directly with the next cooking stage; this first minute is not a final doneness test.

    Add mushrooms and cuttlefish · 1 minUses All aromatic paste base · All marinated minced pork and marinade

    
14. 14

    Step 14: Add the chopped mushrooms and cuttlefish together with all its Chinese rice wine. Stir-fry until aromatic, keeping the cooking continuous.

    Uses All pork and paste in the wok · All chopped mushroom caps, separate from stalks and soaking liquid · All cuttlefish and all two tablespoons of its wine

    
15. 15

    Step 15: Add all 200 ml braise water and bring the mixture to a boil. Add the drained fried eggplant and mix well; leave the unused frying oil separate.

    Uses All cooking base in the wok · 200 ml water for the braise · All drained eggplant lifted from the frying oil

    
16. 16

    Step 16: Transfer to a heat-safe claypot and maintain a simmer for about 10 minutes, checking from 10 minutes. Continue until the eggplant is soft, the minced pork reaches 71°C/160°F, and the cuttlefish is fully cooked, opaque and firm.

    Check eggplant braise · 10 minUses All combined eggplant, meat, cuttlefish and gravy

17. 17

    Step 17: Stir the slurry again and add it to the bubbling gravy, stirring until thickened. Garnish with the prepared parsley and some reserved crispy garlic, plus the prepared chilli and spring onions if using. Serve hot with optional ready cooked jasmine rice.

    Uses All fully cooked braise and gravy · All restirred cornstarch and half-tablespoon water slurry · Crispy garlic drawn for garnish, separate from reserved oil and unused garlic · Prepared garnishes, separate from the garlic preparation outputs · Optional separately prepared jasmine rice