This stir-fry with shrimp and eggplant has a great mix of rich, spicy flavours thanks to careful preparation of the ingredients and quick cooking over high heat.
INGREDIENTS
-1 pound large shrimp, peeled, tails removed, and deveined
-1 + 1 tablespoons dark soy sauce, divided
-1 + 1 + 1 tablespoons sesame oil, divided
-1 + 2 cloves garlic, minced and divided
-2 pounds frozen, pre-cooked udon noodles
-2 large Chinese eggplants
-1 tablespoon kosher salt
-¼ cup black soy sauce
-¼ cup oyster sauce
INGREDIENTS
-1 tablespoon rice vinegar-1 tablespoon dark brown sugar-1 tablespoon corn starch-1 + 2 + 1 tablespoons neutral frying oil (avocado, peanut), divided-12 ounces king oyster or white button mushrooms, sliced-4 fresh Thai chiles, stems trimmed-2 large scallions, stems removed and thinly sliced-¼ cup thinly sliced fresh Thai basil leaves, plus more for garnish-2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh mint leaves, plus more for garnish
INSTRUCTIONS
In a medium bowl, coat shrimp with 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce, 1 tablespoon sesame oil, and 1 minced garlic clove. Cover and chill 30–4 hours.
Step 1
Pour hot water over frozen udon in a large platter. Split udon with chopsticks or tongs after 5 minutes. Hydrate and unwind.
Step 2
Add udon to the remaining tablespoon of dark soy and 1 tablespoon of sesame oil. Save. Trim eggplant ends. Slice eggplants 3-inch. Halve slices vertically.
Step 3
Cut each half to ½-inch width. In a large dish, pour 4 cups cold water over diced eggplant. kosher salt. Plate or weigh eggplant. Soak 15 minutes.
Step 4
While eggplant brines, mix black soy, oyster sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar, remaining garlic, and sesame oil in a small bowl. Kitchen towel-dry eggplant.
Step 5
Eggplant with corn starch in basin. Save. Fire up a large wok or saute pan. Shimmer 1 tbsp oil. 5 minutes in wok until mushrooms release juices and brown.
Last tablespoon of pan oil heat. Cook Thai chillies and shrimp for 5 minutes until opaque.Cook udono. 1 minute stir/cook.
Step 8
Noodles fried. Sauté mushrooms, eggplant, scallions, basil, and mint. Udon, veggies, herbs, and shrimp should be cooked slowly on medium.Steamed shrimp and eggplant with udon and chopped basil and mint.