Not Too Tricky
serves 2
About the recipe
Like many fried foods, this fried aubergine dish can easily morph from one flavour to another. Of all the versions I’ve tried, this one is a very close second to my Smoky Aubergine Parm (page 226 of Cooking With Vegetables). Tonkatsu (fried pork cutlet with shredded cabbage and barbecue sauce) is a completely perfect meal for me. It’s so simple and it has a lovely balance and texture of flavour – tender meat, crunchy golden breadcrumb crust, freshness from the cabbage and a sweet tangy sauce with a whole lot of body. The aubergine slotted into the dish perfectly. Tonkatsu is essentially a Japanese fruit-based barbecue sauce, and it’s fun to make, but shop-bought sauce from Asian grocers is totally delicious too (I use the Bulldog brand).
Ingredients
½ head white cabbage
2 aubergines
50g plain flour
1 egg, lightly beaten with 120ml milk
100g panko breadcrumbs
neutral oil, for shallow-frying (I use rapeseed)
lemon slices, to serve
FOR THE TONKATSU SAUCE
50g demerara sugar
200g tomato ketchup
200ml red wine
1 plum or peach, stoned and roughly chopped (dried fruits like dates or figs are good too)
4 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
4 tbsp light soy sauce
4 tbsp rice vinegar
1 generous tsp Marmite
Method
- Thinly slice the cabbage using a mandoline. Put it in a bowl of iced water for 2 minutes, then drain and leave to dry on a clean towel while you prepare the sauce. The iced water enhances the cabbage’s crunch and gives it extra volume.
- To make your own tonkatsu sauce, put all the ingredients in a saucepan and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Pass through a sieve and leave to cool at room temperature.
- Pierce a few shallow holes in the aubergines with the tip of a knife then cook over an open flame, rotating the aubergines every 3-4 minutes, or under a hot oven grill for 20 minutes, flipping them halfway through. They should be completely charred on all sides and the inside should be soft. Transfer to a bowl, cover tightly with a lid or cling film and leave to steam and cool for 5 minutes. Remove the burnt skin from the aubergines, keeping the aubergines as one piece: I like to use a paper towel to wipe away all the smaller pieces of char.
- Gently press the aubergine flesh into a flattened pear shape and season with salt and pepper. Set up your pane station. You can use three shallow trays or bowls: one with flour, one with beaten egg and milk, and one with breadcrumbs. Carefully dredge the aubergines in the egg, then the flour and breadcrumbs.
- Shallow fry the coated aubergines in a saute pan or frying pan over a high heat until golden brown on both sides. It’s best to do this at a relatively high temperature – the aubergine is already cooked and the faster the crust develops the less oil it will absorb. You could bake the aubergine in the oven if you prefer: lightly coat it with olive oil and bake at 220°C fan until golden brown on both sides (flipping them mid bake).
- Warm the sauce through, if necessary, then spoon a generous amount of the warm sauce onto a plate and place the crispy aubergine on top. Add a big handful of the shredded cabbage and serve with slices of lemon.
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