There was a time (about 5 years ago) that Kelly & Gilbert shared a house with Eric & I. Being the adventuresome couple that they are, they started taking Korean language lessons during their time with us. Part of their classes were devoted to becoming familiar with Korean food and how to prepare Korean dishes. Kelly & Gilbert were especially enthusiastic about that aspect of the class, as they love to learn how to cook foods from other cultures. And since we shared a house with them, Eric & I got to sample many of the foods they were preparing, like kimchi (a traditional dish of fermented vegetables, usually cabbage) and bibimbap (a bowl of rice often topped with vegetables, egg, sliced meat, soy sauce and fermented pastes). My favorite dish was bulgogi. It is a classic Korean dish of grilled, marinated meat. It has become the best-known Korean food product in American. This vegetarian version of bulgogi uses eggplant (one of Eric’s favorite vegetables) in place of the meat.

Bulgogi Eggplant

Bulgogi Eggplant (adapted from cooking.nytimes.com) Total Time Required: 40 minutes, Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ( 2-4) eggplant, 4-inches or longer
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1 scallion, thinly sliced on the bias, for garnish

Preparation:

Slice the scallions on the bias and set them aside.

Prep the eggplant. Any that are longer than 6-inches, cut in half crosswise, then lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Ones under 6 inches can be cut lengthwise in 1/4-inch slices.

Cut the eggplant into slices and place them in a colander.

Place the eggplant in a colander set inside the sink. Sprinkle the slices with the salt, tossing to combine and let them sit for 30 minutes to drain off excess moisture.

Sprinkle the slices with the salt.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, maple syrup, sugar, and garlic powder until the sugar is dissolved.

Whisk together the ingredients for the bulgogi sauce.

Prepare a charcoal grill for direct high-heat cooking or preheat a gas grill to high. Coat the grill grate with nonstick spray.

When the eggplant finishes draining, pat the slices dry with paper toweling.

Gently pat the slices dry.

In a large bowl, toss the drained eggplant with the oil. Place the eggplant on the hot, greased grate. Grill the slices until they are charred at the edges, about 1 to 2 minutes per side, closing the lid between flips. Return the eggplant to the bowl.

Grill the eggplant slices.

Add the sauce to the bowl of grilled eggplant and gently toss the eggplant, making sure each slice is thinly coated.

Gently toss the slices with the sauce.

Arrange the slices with the sauce on a large platter. Crack some black pepper over the eggplant and garnish with the scallion slices. Serve.

Serve the eggplant with some cracked black pepper and the sliced scallion.

Expect the more traditional bulgogi beef recipe in an upcoming post!  ~Linda

Bulgogi Eggplant (adapted from cooking.nytimes.com) Total Time Required: 40 minutes, Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ( 2-4) eggplant, 4-inches or longer
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1 scallion, thinly sliced on the bias, for garnish

Preparation:

Prep the eggplant. Any that are longer than 6-inches, cut in half crosswise, then lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Ones under 6 inches can be cut lengthwise in 1/4-inch slices.

Place the eggplant in a colander set inside the sink. Sprinkle the slices with the salt, tossing to combine and let them sit for 30 minutes to drain off excess moisture.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, maple syrup, sugar, and garlic powder until the sugar is dissolved.

Prepare a charcoal grill for direct high-heat cooking or preheat a gas grill to high. Coat the grill grate with nonstick spray.

When the eggplant finishes draining, pat the slices dry with paper toweling. In a large bowl, toss the drained eggplant with the oil. Place the eggplant on the hot, greased grate. Grill the slices until they are charred at the edges, about 1 to 2 minutes per side, closing the lid between flips. Return the eggplant to the bowl.

Add the sauce to the bowl of grilled eggplant and gently toss the eggplant, making sure each slice is thinly coated. Arrange the slices with the sauce on a large platter. Crack some black pepper over the eggplant and garnish with the scallion slices. Serve.