"Diane McGill" wrote> I'm looking for some recipes that use the long
Japanese eggplants.
> Anyone have some recipes they would share?
>
> Diane M

I looovve this stuff. I first ate it in a Chinese restaurant on Okinawa,
which has/had a very large Chinese population---they didn't all go to
Taiwan. It's best with the long ones that are colored like our western fat
guys. (The Asian ones are real purple with white, and shorter.) Two of
yours should do it. I often forgo the dried shrimp and use just more
pork---say, 3/4 lb. At one point, I used and enjoyed using Penzey's Sichuan
Pepper-Salt as the condiment. Well, with the sichuan pepper problem, that
went by the wayside. Now, we use very finely ground good black pepper;
likewise, kosher salt; and add a scant pinch of 5-spice powder. DO NOT use
anything liquid as a condiment---the pepper/salt combo is traditional and
best. If you have nothing else, use salt and pepper with a bit of cayenne.
I also include a good beer batter recipe that we use. We usually triple the
batter recipe for this.

Enjoy,
Pam

STUFFED EGGPLANT (Chinese) 4 - 8 servings

1/2 lb ground pork

6 large dried shrimp, soaked in 2 Tbsp hot water for 30 minutes, then
drained and finely chopped

1 green onion, finely chopped

1 Tbsp cornstarch

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp sugar

1/4 tsp pepper

3 - 4 Asian eggplants - sliced to create sandwich (sorta hinged, shall we
say) to stuff

Beer batter or other light weight batter; no breading

2 c. peanut oil

Combine filling ingredients until meat holds together. Stuff eggplant
slices, dip in batter, and deep fry in 375°F oil until brown - about 2
minutes on a side. Serve with spiced salt/pepper.

BEER BATTER (Basic Skills for the Good Cook - 26 Cooking Lessons from Bon
Appetit - 1981)

(makes about 1/2 cup)

1/4 c. cornstarch

1/4 c. all-purpose flour

1/4 c. beer, room temperature

3 Tbsp butter, melted

1 egg, separated

1 small garlic clove, minced

salt and pepper

Peanut oil for frying

Combine cornstarch and flour and mix well. Blend in beer, butter, egg yolk
and garlic. Beat egg white until stiff. Fold into batter with salt and
pepper to taste.

Heat oil to between 375°F and 395°F. Allow excess batter to run off before
placing item in oil.