Glazed Eggplants

A simply heavenly side dish for eggplant lovers, easy and quick to make. You'll need to go to an oriental or Asian supermarket to get the Togarashi spice -- it makes all the difference in the flavor of the eggplants.

Ingredients:

3-4 large Japanese eggplants, cut crosswise 1-inch thick on the diagonal

Togarashi (see note below), for sprinkling

3 tablespoons canola oil, divided

3 tablespoons Asian sesame oil, divided

2 tablespoons mirin (Japanese sweet vinegar)

2 tablespoons soy sauce

Directions:

In a bowl, toss the eggplant pieces with the Togarashi.

In a very large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons each of the canola oil and sesame oil until shimmering but not smoking. Add the eggplant in one layer, and cook over moderately high heat until browned on the bottom, about 5 minutes.

Brush the tops of the eggplants with the remaining canola and sesame oil. Turn and cook until tender and deeply browned on the other side.

Add the mirin and soy sauce to the skillet; turn the eggplant pieces and cook until nicely glazed, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter and sprinkle with more togarashi.  Serves 4.

(Note: Togarashi is a Japanese spice blend, also known as seven-flavor seasoning, and is available at Asian supermarkets. It contains the following ingredients: chili flakes, powdered sansho pepper leaves, white and black sesame seeds, powdered tangerine peel, white poppy seeds, and brown mustard seeds.)