Food Recipes Side Dishes Vegetable Side Dishes Japanese Eggplant with Black Garlic–Tahini Dressing 3.3 (3) 3 Reviews A luxurious black garlic-tahini dressing dresses up skillet-seared Japanese eggplant. By Liz Mervosh Liz Mervosh Elizabeth Mervosh is a recipe tester and developer for Dotdash Meredith Food Studios in Birmingham, Alabama. She creates and fine-tunes recipes for brands including Southern Living, Real Simple, Food & Wine, People, and EatingWell. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on August 3, 2023 Tested by Food & Wine Test Kitchen Tested by Food & Wine Test Kitchen Recipes published by Food & Wine are rigorously tested by the culinary professionals at the Dotdash Meredith Food Studios in order to empower home cooks to enjoy being in the kitchen and preparing meals they will love. Our expert culinary team tests and retests each recipe using equipment and ingredients found in home kitchens to ensure that every recipe is delicious and works for cooks at home every single time. Meet the Food & Wine Test Kitchen Rate PRINT Share Photo: Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christine Keely Total Time: 30 mins Servings: 4 servings When the F&W Test Kitchen was looking for fresh ideas for vegetable side dishes for summer, we knew just who to ask: Chef Rob Rubba. A 2022 F&W Best New Chef, Rubba’s plant-based cooking at Oyster Oyster in Washington D.C., has been widely celebrated for its deliciousness and creativity. His tip for us: Sink your efforts into creating a bold, satisfying sauce, and then stand back and let those simply cooked vegetables sing. Rubba shared an idea for a sauce of black garlic, which has a caramelized taste and soft texture from a fermentation process that occurs over a few weeks as it ages under heated conditions. Our testers parlayed his concept into a tangy dressing that combines black garlic and creamy tahini that beautifully coats pan-seared Japanese eggplant. Japanese eggplant is known for its slender shape and tender texture. It lends itself to the angular cuts in this dish, made by slicing the eggplant at a 45-degree angle and rolling the eggplant a quarter turn after each cut. Ingredients 1/4 cup water 1/3 cup well-stirred tahini 4 jarred peeled medium-size black garlic cloves (see Note) 1 tablespoon mirin 3 tablespoons light soy sauce (such as Pearl River Bridge), divided 3 1/2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons rice vinegar, divided 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided 1 large red Fresno pepper chile, thinly sliced 6 tablespoons canola oil, divided 1 1/2 pounds Japanese eggplant (about 3 eggplant), roll-cut into 1-inch pieces Thinly sliced scallions, for garnish Directions Process 1/4 cups water, tahini, black garlic, mirin, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 2 teaspoons vinegar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a blender until smooth, 30 to 45 seconds. Set 1/3 cup tahini dressing aside. Reserve remaining dressing for another use. Stir together chile, remaining 3 1/2 tablespoons vinegar, and remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt in a small bowl; set aside. How to cook Japanese eggplant Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a cast-iron skillet over high until a wisp of smoke rises from skillet. Add half of the eggplant to skillet; immediately stir to coat with oil. Cook, stirring often, until just tender and browned in spots, about 6 minutes. (Skillet will appear dry.) Transfer to a large plate. Repeat process with remaining 3 tablespoons oil and remaining eggplant. Reduce heat to medium. Add cooked eggplant, chile mixture, and remaining 2 tablespoons soy sauce to skillet; cook, stirring constantly, until eggplant absorbs chile mixture, about 1 minute. Remove from heat. Spread reserved 1/3 cup tahini dressing on a platter. Top with eggplant mixture, and garnish with scallions. To make ahead Black garlic–tahini dressing can be stored in an airtight container in a refrigerator for up to 4 days. Note Black garlic is available at specialty grocery stores or online at nuts.com. Suggested pairing Earthy natural white: La Grange Tiphaine Clef de Sol Rate It Print