Vegetables

Eggplant Adobo

Name: Eggplant Adobo
Total time: 110 min
Ingredients: 1/4 cup canola oil, divided; 1 pound chicken wings, cut into drumettes and flats, wing tips discarded; 4 garlic cloves, smashed; 1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and smashed; 1/4 cup soy sauce; 1 quart high-quality chicken stock; 1 cup apple cider vinegar; 1/4 cup premium oyster sauce (such as Megachef); 2 bay leaves; 1 teaspoon berbere; 1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper; 1 pound Japanese eggplants (about 6 eggplants), cut into 1-inch pieces; Fresh Thai basil leaves, for serving

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This stir-fried eggplant adobo recipe from chef Sheldon Simeon gets its deliciously sweet-sour flavor from a sauce of apple cider vinegar and oyster sauce with loads of dimension thanks to a generous amount of garlic, ginger, and berbere seasoning (an Ethiopian spice blend featuring fenugreek, paprika, chiles, and several other spices that can be found online and at Whole Foods). Chicken wings further enrich the sauce with fat and flavor—after removing them from the sauce, enjoy them as cook’s snack, if you like, or serve them alongside the eggplant. Use a premium oyster sauce, such as Megachef, for this recipe, and seek out Japanese eggplant—both can be found at Asian grocery stores. We love this dish with steamed white rice—it is the perfect vessel to sop up extra sauce.

By

Sheldon Simeon

Updated on June 1, 2019

Active Time:

25 mins

Total Time:

1 hr 50 mins

Yield:

8

Ingredients

1/4 cup canola oil, divided
1 pound chicken wings, cut into drumettes and flats, wing tips discarded
4 garlic cloves, smashed
1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and smashed
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 quart high-quality chicken stock
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup premium oyster sauce (such as Megachef)
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon berbere
1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1 pound Japanese eggplants (about 6 eggplants), cut into 1-inch pieces
Fresh Thai basil leaves, for serving

Directions

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high. Add chicken pieces; cook until browned, about 5 minutes per side.
Increase heat to high; add garlic and ginger, and cook, stirring constantly, until just fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add soy sauce; cook until almost completely reduced, about 1 minute. Stir in stock, vinegar, oyster sauce, bay leaves, berbere, and pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 45 minutes.
Remove Dutch oven from heat; let cool slightly, about 15 minutes. Remove chicken; set aside. Skim fat off liquid; discard. Bring liquid to a boil over medium; boil until reduced down to a glaze consistency, about 30 minutes. (You should have about 1/2 cup glaze.) Set aside.
Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over high. Add eggplant; cook until browned on all sides, 8 to 10 minutes. Add glaze mixture to skillet; toss to coat eggplant. Transfer to serving platter. Garnish with basil; serve with chicken, or reserve chicken for another use.