Eggplant is one of those vegetables that almost begs for strong, pungent spices and sauces. And one of the most popular vegetable dishes in Sichuan cooking is "fish-fragrant eggplant", an unfortunate literal translation of the Chinese name (鱼香茄子 yuxiang qiezi) without the cultural nuance. You see, it doesn't actually smell or taste like fish. Rather, the name refers to method of preparation usually associated with fish in Sichuan cuisine that results in hot, sour, salty, and sweet flavors all co-mingling on the plate.

Some versions use dried red chilis for spiciness, othes use ground chili flakes. Some recipes written for the overseas market eschew Sichuan peppercorn, since the ingredient may be hard to find. I like to use both Sichuan peppercorn and 豆瓣酱 (doubanjiang), a chili bean paste with fava beans that you may recall from some other Sichuan dishes like dry-fried green beans and twice-cooked pork. Vinegar, soy sauce, and sugar complete the four-flavors balance, with additional seasonings for background support.

Rather than deep-frying, like many other recipes call for, I like to use just a bit of oil and stir-fry until the outsides are golden brown. This seems to result in a less oily, but still flavorful, eggplant dish. For a meatier oomph, you can also add a bit of minced pork and stir-fry it with the garlic and ginger. 

__________________________________________

Similar recipes:

Eggplant, Cumin, and Black Bean Salad
Sichuan Dry-Fried Green Beans

__________________________________________

Spicy Sichuan Eggplant, or "Fish-Fragrant Eggplant"

Serves 4 as part of multi-course meal

1 1/2 pounds Asian eggplant
1/4 cup chicken stock
2 tablespoons chili bean paste
2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
2 tablespoons dark rice vinegar
1 tablespoon yellow rice wine
2 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon minced ginger
2 teaspoons Sichuan peppercorn, or 1 teaspoon ground Sichuan pepper
1 teaspoon cornstarch, dissolved in 1 tablespoon water
Scallions, thinly sliced, for garnish

Slice each eggplanet in half lengthwise, then slice each length into quarters.

In a small bowl, mix together chicken stock, chili bean paste, soy sauce, rice vinegar, rice wine, and sugar. Set aside.

In a wok, heat oil until just smoking. Add eggplants and stir-fry until outsides become golden brown and insides begin to soften, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, and Sichuan peppercorns and stir-fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Pour in stock-sauce mixture and mix well. Allow sauce to simmer for 2 minutes and eggplant to absorb sauce. Stir in cornstarch mixture to thicken sauce. Remove from heat, plate, and garnish with scallions.