Hakka Eggplant from Myers+Chang at Home

Serves 6 (as a side)

Papa Chang eats everything. I mean everything. It’s a running joke at the end of any meal that if there is additional food at the table, we put it in front of him and little by little he somehow manages to demolish it. He’s got a healthy metabolism and a complete appreciation of all food. He calls himself an equal opportunity eater. Before we opened Myers+Chang, Christopher and I often had dinner at a local Taiwanese restaurant called Taiwan Cafe around the corner from our house. We took my parents there, and my dad went nuts over this traditional dish. He typically leaves ordering up to us because he’s happy with pretty much anything, but at Taiwan Cafe he always makes sure we order this. So I knew we had to create a version for our restaurant. The important ingredients are the thick dark soy sauce which adds a licorice-y taste and tons of Thai basil, which lends a different dose of the anise kick that is already present in the dish. The technique of cooking it first with a decent amount of oil before tossing it in the wok and cooking it again is pretty indulgent and what makes it special.

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°F and place a rack in the center of the oven.

With a sharp knife, remove the stem from each eggplant and split the eggplant top to tail into two long pieces. Lay the flat sides down on a cutting board and cut each piece into 1-inch chunks. Do the same to the rest of the eggplant. Place all the eggplant in a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, salt, black pepper, and [1/2] cup water. Pour the mixture over the eggplant and toss very well with your hands. Transfer the eggplant to a large baking dish or a rimmed baking sheet (pouring any remaining liquid over the eggplant) and bake for 15 to 20 minutes. When it is done, the eggplant will be soft and you should be able to pierce it easily with a fork. Remove from the oven and set aside.

Place a wok or large, heavy, flatbottomed skillet on the stove and heat over high heat. Add the eggplant (no need to add oil) directly to the wok and stir for 1 minute. Add the Hakka Sauce and red pepper flakes. Toss and cook until the eggplant is well coated with sauce, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the basil and give the whole thing a good toss. Place in a large bowl and serve family-style.

Hakka Sauce

Makes about 1½ cups

Directions

In a medium saucepan, whisk together the hoisin sauce, low sodium soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, rice vinegar, black vinegar, thick soy sauce, and sugar and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.

In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and 2 tablespoons cold water until smooth to make a slurry (see Note below). Whisk the slurry into the pot. Simmer, while whisking, until it is shiny and coats the back of a spoon, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat. The Hakka Sauce can be made up to 1 week in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Note: Don’t use warm or hot water because it will cause the cornstarch to seize up into small lumps that won’t dissolve no matter how hard you whisk, which is why you can’t mix it directly into the sauce.