Kochi Regional Cuisine! Kasahara-Style Eggplant Tataki

Overview

In this video, chef Masahiro Kasahara introduces "Eggplant Tataki," a regional dish from Kochi. This simple recipe maximizes the natural umami of the eggplant by roasting it over an open flame until the skin is completely charred, then peeling and chopping it. Topped with plenty of aromatic herbs and finished with a simple soy sauce-based dressing, it is presented as a refreshing Japanese side dish perfect for the hot summer months.

Key Tips

• Prep
  • Roast the eggplants over an open flame with the stems still attached. It is crucial to roast them until the skin is completely blackened and the inside is fully cooked.
• Heat control
  • Roast the eggplants on high heat directly over a gas stove flame (using a wire rack helps stabilize them). Turn them with tongs or chopsticks to char all sides evenly.
• Peeling
  • Transfer the roasted eggplants to ice water or cold water to cool slightly, then peel off the skin by hand. Since the skin is charred, it should peel off relatively easily.
• Chopping
  • Roughly chop the peeled eggplants with a knife. The key is to avoid over-chopping so that some texture remains.
• Seasoning
  • Add plenty of aromatics (myoga, shiso, ginger, etc.) and season simply with soy sauce or ponzu. Adding a drizzle of sesame oil enhances the aroma.
• Aromatics
  • Using plenty of summer aromatics like myoga, shiso, and ginger creates a wonderfully refreshing flavor.

* Tap ingredient names to find on Amazon

• 3eggplants
• Myogaginger (Japanese ginger), to taste
• Ooba(shiso leaves), to taste
• Ginger,to taste
• Soysauce (or ponzu), to taste
• Sesameoil, a drizzle

Instructions

1. 1

   Wash the eggplants with the stems still attached, then pat dry.

2. 2

   Place the eggplants directly over the flame of a gas stove (on a wire rack) and roast on high heat until the skin is completely blackened. Turn them occasionally using tongs or chopsticks to char all sides evenly.

3. 3

   Once the skin is completely charred and the inside is cooked through (a bamboo skewer should slide in easily), transfer them to cold or ice water.

4. 4

   Once cool enough to handle, peel off the blackened skin by hand.

5. 5

   Place the peeled eggplants on a cutting board and roughly chop them with a knife. The key is to keep them slightly chunky to retain some texture rather than mincing them too finely.

6. 6

   Finely mince the aromatics, such as myoga ginger, shiso leaves, and ginger.

7. 7

   Plate the chopped eggplant and top generously with the minced aromatics.

8. 8

   Drizzle with soy sauce or ponzu, and finish with a drizzle of sesame oil.

About 【賛否両論】笠原将弘の料理のほそ道

【賛否両論】笠原将弘の料理のほそ道

136万人 subscribers ・ 和食

Learn from this YouTuber About this channel →

* Opens YouTube channel

* Subscriber count is as of article creation and may differ from the current number.