Deep Fried Eggplant & 3 Shot Chicken

This eggplant recipe was sent to me from Japan as part of an email recipe swap. It sounded easy and tasty so I decided to try it. If you want to give it a go you simply half some eggplants (the long thin ones, similar in size and shape to a zucchini). You can leave all the skin on or peel off a few strips with a vegetable peeler. You then make up a rissole mix as you normally would but make sure it is fairly moist. I used beef mince, egg and fresh breadcrumbs with a dash of soy sauce but you could also use chicken or any other mince. You sandwich the mince between the eggplant halves then crumb it with cornflour, beaten egg and fresh breadcrumbs. To make fresh breadcrumbs it is easiest to use frozen bread and process it in a food processor.

You then deep fry the eggplant sandwiches for about 7 minutes in vegetable oil and serve with soy sauce. I thought these were really nice and you could serve them as either an entree or main with rice and salad. The fresh breadcrumbs gave them a lovely crunchy outside.

Rating 8 out 10.

This recipe for 3 shot chicken came from the TV show, Poh's Kitchen and can be found at http://www.abc.net.au/tv/pohskitchen/stories/s2856349.htm

Basically you braise some dried shitake mushrooms (soak them in warm water for an hour first), carrot and garlic (which you need to poach first) and stir fry them with chicken, shaoxing wine, sweet bean paste and chicken stock. To poach the garlic you place the peeled cloves in  a saucepan with cold water, bring to the boil, strain and repeat this process a total of 3 times. The recipe then tells you to put the stir fry into a clay pot (which I happened to have but you don't need) and add 3 shots, one each of light soy sauce, beer and chilli oil.

I think my chilli oil must have been a very hot one because this dish was HOT! I should have added a little chilli oil at a time but just threw the whole shot in. It was a bit disappointing because I know the flavours would have been fantastic but the chilli made it too hot to be able to appreciate them. I will have to make it again with less chilli oil! I don't think I can even rate this dish because I couldn't really taste it. I did like the concept of adding the 3 shots at the table before serving.