Grilled Eggplant with Hoisin Sauce

Thick eggplant rounds salted, pressed, grilled until smoky and yielding, then drenched in a bold sauce of hoisin, balsamic vinegar, tamari, sesame oil, fresh ginger, and a hit of hot sauce. Finished with sliced scallions and toasted sesame seeds, this is a vegetarian main dish with serious depth.

Salting and weighting the eggplant slices for 30 minutes draws out bitter liquid and excess moisture. This step is worth the wait. Un-salted eggplant tastes bitter and absorbs oil like a sponge on the grill. Salted, pressed, rinsed, and dried slices grill up firm and smoky with concentrated flavor.

The sauce is a fusion of Asian and Italian: hoisin brings sweet, fermented soybean richness, balsamic vinegar adds tangy depth, sesame oil contributes nutty warmth, and fresh ginger sharpens everything. Whisked together raw, it pours over the hot grilled eggplant and soaks in immediately.

Grill 5 to 7 minutes per side. The rounds should have clear grill marks and feel soft when pressed but not mushy. Slightly charred edges are a good thing here.

Chef Tips

• Slice ¼ inch thick for rounds that cook through on the grill without falling apart.
• Rinse the salt off thoroughly before grilling. Leftover salt makes the dish too salty combined with the tamari and hoisin.
• Pat dry after rinsing. Wet eggplant steams instead of grilling.
• Pour the sauce over while the eggplant is still hot. The warmth helps it absorb the flavors.

Variations

• Grilled zucchini version: Use thick zucchini rounds instead of eggplant. Skip the salting step since zucchini isn’t bitter.
• Spicy Szechuan: Double the hot sauce and add a teaspoon of chili oil for serious heat.
• Cold appetizer: Grill, sauce, and chill. Serve at room temperature as part of an Asian-inspired mezze spread.