serves
6
prep
20 minutes
cook
15 minutes
difficulty
Easy
serves
6
people
preparation
20
minutes
cooking
15
minutes
difficulty
Easy
level
Ingredients
- 3 Asian aubergines (about 140 g/5 oz each), halved lengthways
- vegetable oil, for grilling
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 120 ml (4 fl oz) doenjang glaze
- roasted sesame seeds, to serve
- pinch of gochugaru (Korean chilli flakes), to serve (optional)
- handful of spring onions, thinly sliced on an angle, to serve
Doenjang glaze
- 125 g (4½ oz) doenjang (Korean soya bean paste)
- 50 g (1¾ oz) honey
- 5 garlic cloves, grated or finely chopped
- 3 spring onions, thinly sliced on an angle
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
Instructions
To make the doenjang glaze, in a small bowl, whisk together all the ingredients until smooth. Cover and store in the fridge if not using immediately.
Preheat the grill and position a rack 10–13 cm (4–5 in) from the heat source. Line a baking tray with foil.
Score the flesh of each aubergine half in a crisscross pattern, cutting deeply but not all the way through to the skin. Brush the aubergine halves with oil and season with salt and pepper. Arrange them, skin-side up, in a single layer on the prepared baking tray.
Grill for 3–5 minutes until the skins start to discolor in spots and the aubergines soften a bit. Flip them and continue to grill for a further 3–5 minutes until the cut sides are lightly golden and the aubergines are soft when squeezed. Spread the glaze over the flesh and grill for about 5 minutes until it’s bubbling and lightly charred in spots. Watch carefully, as the glaze can burn quickly. Transfer the aubergines to plates, flesh-side up, and garnish with sesame seeds, chilli flakes, if liked, and the spring onions.
Notes
• While the aubergine halves look nicer served as is, cutting them into smaller pieces makes them easier to eat.
• The glaze is a savoury, salty and slightly sweet mixture. It makes about 300 ml (10 fl oz).
Cook's Notes
Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.
