Name: Tender Eggplant with Savory Chicken Miso Sauce
Ingredients: 3 eggplants; 200g ground chicken; [Eggplant Prep] 300ml water; [Eggplant Prep] 2g baking soda; [Ground Chicken Prep] Sugar, to taste (about a pinch per side); [Ground Chicken Prep] 2g baking soda (1g per side); [Chicken Miso Sauce] 2 tbsp sake; [Chicken Miso Sauce] 2 tbsp mirin; [Chicken Miso Sauce] 1 tbsp sugar; [Chicken Miso Sauce] 1.5 tbsp miso; [Chicken Miso Sauce] 1 tsp kelp tea powder (kombucha); [Eggplant Marinade] 100ml water; [Eggplant Marinade] 100ml tsuyu (noodle soup base); [Eggplant Marinade] 3 pinches kelp tea powder (kombucha); [Eggplant Marinade] 1/2 tsp sugar; [Eggplant Marinade] 1 tsp soy sauce; [Eggplant Marinade] 1 pickled plum (umeboshi); [Topping] Bonito flakes, to taste

About "Tender Eggplant with Savory Chicken Miso Sauce"

A 10-minute recipe for 'Tender Eggplant with Chicken Miso Sauce' using only 200g of ground chicken and 3 eggplants. The key lies in prepping both ingredients with baking soda; soaking the eggplant in an alkaline baking soda solution before microwaving yields an incredibly melt-in-your-mouth texture, which is then infused with flavor in a chilled marinade featuring pickled plum (umeboshi). To keep the ground chicken incredibly moist, this unique method avoids salt, oil, and direct searing, instead heating the miso sauce first before adding the meat. Perfected over 100 trials, this quick, budget-friendly, and diet-friendly dish is topped with bonito flakes for a perfect summer meal.

Tips for Making "Tender Eggplant with Savory Chicken Miso Sauce"

ナス下処理
ナスを重曹水（水300ml＋重曹2g）に5分漬け込むことでアルカリ性にし、レンチン時にとろとろ食感を引き出す
ナス下処理
レンチン後のナスは熱いうちにカットし、氷で冷やした漬け込みダレに入れてラップを密着させる（サウナ効果＝サウナス）ことで味をしっかり染み込ませる
ナス下処理
ナスはヘタをギリギリで切り落とし縦半分に切る。漬け込む際は皮を下にする
鶏ひき肉下処理
鶏ひき肉には塩を振らない。砂糖と重曹を片面1gずつ両面に振り、キッチンペーパーで挟んで重石を乗せ3分置いて余分な水分を抜く
鶏ひき肉下処理
フライパンに油を引かない。肉を直接焼かない
火加減・調理手順
フライパンを中火で加熱し、先に肉味噌のタレだけを灰汁が出ない程度に加熱してから鶏ひき肉を加えることでパサつきを防ぐ
火加減・調理手順
肉のピンクがなくなったら余熱調理に切り替え、加熱しすぎない
漬け込みダレ
漬け込みダレは梅干しを崩して加えることで風味と酸味をプラスし、冷蔵庫で冷やしておくことで熱いナスとの温度差を活かして急速に味を染み込ませる

Ingredients for "Tender Eggplant with Savory Chicken Miso Sauce"

18 items

* Tap ingredient names to find on Amazon

3eggplants
200gground chicken
[EggplantPrep] 300ml water
[EggplantPrep] 2g baking soda
[GroundChicken Prep] Sugar, to taste (about a pinch per side)
[GroundChicken Prep] 2g baking soda (1g per side)
[ChickenMiso Sauce] 2 tbsp sake
[ChickenMiso Sauce] 2 tbsp mirin
[ChickenMiso Sauce] 1 tbsp sugar
[ChickenMiso Sauce] 1.5 tbsp miso
[ChickenMiso Sauce] 1 tsp kelp tea powder (kombucha)
[EggplantMarinade] 100ml water
[EggplantMarinade] 100ml tsuyu (noodle soup base)
[EggplantMarinade] 3 pinches kelp tea powder (kombucha)
[EggplantMarinade] 1/2 tsp sugar
[EggplantMarinade] 1 tsp soy sauce
[EggplantMarinade] 1 pickled plum (umeboshi)
[Topping]Bonito flakes, to taste

How to Make "Tender Eggplant with Savory Chicken Miso Sauce"

01
Trim the stems off the eggplants closely, cut them in half lengthwise, and place them in a ziplock bag.
02
Dissolve 2g of baking soda in 300ml of water to make a baking soda solution. Pour it into the bag and let the eggplants soak for about 5 minutes.
03
Sprinkle sugar and 1g of baking soda on each side of the ground chicken. Sandwich the meat between paper towels, place a weight on top, and let it sit for about 3 minutes to drain excess moisture.
04
In a bowl, combine 100ml water, 100ml tsuyu, 3 pinches of kelp tea powder, 1/2 tsp sugar, and 1 tsp soy sauce. Add 1 pickled plum, crushing it slightly, to make the eggplant marinade. Add ice to chill it.
05
Mix 2 tbsp sake, 2 tbsp mirin, 1 tbsp sugar, 1.5 tbsp miso, and 1 tsp kelp tea powder to make the chicken miso sauce.
06
Remove the eggplants from the bag and gently pat dry. Wrap them in plastic wrap and microwave at 600W for 3 minutes.
07
While the microwaved eggplants are still hot, cut them in half lengthwise again (into quarters). Place them skin-side down into the ice-chilled marinade, press plastic wrap directly onto the surface, and let the flavors infuse.
08
Remove the paper towels from the ground chicken.
09
Heat a pan over medium heat (do not add oil), pour in the chicken miso sauce, and heat gently without letting it boil rapidly or foam.
10
Once the sauce is warm, add the ground chicken. Stir-fry until the pink color disappears, coating the meat with the sauce. Turn off the heat as soon as the pink is gone and let the residual heat finish cooking it.
11
Remove the eggplants from the marinade, arrange them on a plate, and generously spoon the chicken miso sauce over them.
12
Top with bonito flakes to taste and serve.

Detailed Commentary on "Tender Eggplant with Savory Chicken Miso Sauce"

* Content organized by topics from the video.

The Secret to Melt-in-Your-Mouth Eggplant

Soaking the eggplant in an alkaline baking soda solution before microwaving breaks down the pectin, resulting in an incredibly tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture without needing excess oil.

How to Keep Ground Chicken Juicy

Prepping the chicken with baking soda and sugar helps retain moisture. Additionally, cooking the meat directly in the preheated miso sauce instead of searing it prevents it from drying out.

The Ultimate 10-Minute Eggplant and Ground Chicken Recipe Perfected After 100 Trials