The Chinese Stuffed Eggplant My Dad's Made 100,000 Times

Ingredients

• 1 lb Chinese eggplant
• 7 oz shrimp
• 7 oz tonguefish fillet
• 0.5 tsp salt
• 0.5 tsp sugar
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 0.25 tsp white pepper
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 2 tbsp water
• 2 clove garlic
• 1 whole chili pepper
• 3 slice ginger
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 2 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1.5 tbsp vinegar
• 5 tbsp water
• 0.5 tsp chili sauce
• 2 tsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp corn oil
• 4 tbsp corn oil
• 2 tbsp water

Instructions

1. 1

   Create filling: Start by preparing the filling, which will be a fish and shrimp paste. If you wish, you can opt for only fish, only shrimp, or any combination of proteins, like ground pork or beef. While you can sometimes buy this at a Chinese seafood counter, it's good to know how to make it from scratch!

2. 2

   Marinate filling: Now that we have the shrimp and fish paste, we can finally marinate it. Add white pepper, salt, sugar, cornstarch, and water to a bowl. Mix it up and pour it over the shrimp and fish paste.

3. 3

   Cut eggplant: Trim off the stem and the end of the eggplant.

4. 4

   Stuff eggplant: Once all the eggplant is sliced up, take your filling out of the fridge. Use a spoon to scoop the filling into the eggplant slices, then use the edge of the spoon to wipe and clean the sides.

5. 5

   Prepare sauce: Smash, peel, and mince the garlic.

6. 6

   Cook stuffed eggplant: Set your stove to high and heat up a flat-bottomed frying pan or skillet. When the pan is hot, add oil and swirl it around. Turn the heat down to medium or low.

7. 7

   Cook sauce: Clean and dry your pan, or use a new pan to cook the sauce.