The secret of this elegant dish, served by chef Ian Chalermkittichai at his New York restaurant the Ember Room, is that it’s broiled in the oven, the direct heat source from above providing a heavy, steady heat that both tenderizes the eggplant and caramelizes its sweet-savory miso glaze.
Ingredients:
1 large eggplant 1/2 teaspoon sea salt 1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes 3 tablespoons white miso paste 1/4 cup Thai red curry paste 1 1/2 teaspoon palm or brown sugar 2 sprigs cilantro, roughly chopped
Preparation:
Preheat oven to broil. Cut the eggplant in half, score the cut sides in a cross-hatch pattern, and season with salt. Place the eggplant halves cut-side up in a baking dish and broil for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine chili flakes, miso, red curry, and palm sugar to make an even paste. Remove eggplant from the oven, spread the paste on the eggplants evenly, and return to the broiler for another 2 1/2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter and garnish with chopped cilantro.