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Miso-Glazed Eggplant (Nasu Dengaku)

Miso-Glazed Eggplant (Nasu Dengaku) reads sweetness 7.0, umami 5.6 and nutty 5.0 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Japanese main, about 41 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 6.5 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 7.4 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 1.1 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 3.6 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 6.4 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 2.4 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Sweetness 7.0 · Umami 5.6 · Nutty 5.0 · Funk & Ferment 4.6 · Richness 4.6 · Salinity 4.4 · Earthy 3.3 · Herbaceous 2.1 · Bitterness 2.0 · Allium 1.6 · Fruity 1.4 · Warm Spice 1.2 · Sourness 0.9 · Citrus 0.8 · Floral 0.8

What's in it (11)

• eggplants — 907 g
• vegetable oil — 41 g
• salt — 3 g
• freshly ground black pepper — 1 g
• miso paste — 79 g
• mirin — 44 g
• granulated sugar — 25 g
• dry sherry — 15 g
• dark sesame oil — 5 g
• scallions — 200 g
• ground toasted sesame seeds — 15 g

Time & effort: about 41 min · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 78 kcal, 1.7 g protein, 4.4 g fat, 9.3 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (8 steps)

1. Heat the oven to 425 F. Score the cut flesh of each eggplant half in a tight crosshatch, cutting almost to the skin without piercing it — this lets the glaze soak in and helps the flesh cook through evenly.
2. Sprinkle the cut sides with the salt and pepper and let sit 15 minutes; this draws out excess moisture so the eggplant sears instead of steaming. Pat the cut sides dry with a paper towel before cooking.
3. While the eggplant sits, whisk together the miso paste, mirin, sugar, sherry, and sesame oil in a small bowl until smooth and no lumps of miso remain.
4. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Add the eggplant cut-side down and sear, pressing lightly, until deeply golden brown, 5-6 minutes.
5. Flip the eggplant skin-side down, drizzle the remaining 1 tablespoon oil over the cut sides, and transfer the skillet to the oven. Roast until a paring knife slides into the thickest part with no resistance, 15-18 minutes.
6. Remove the skillet from the oven (the handle will be hot) and set the broiler to high. Brush the miso glaze generously over the cut sides of each eggplant half.
7. Broil until the glaze bubbles and browns in deep caramelized spots, 2-3 minutes, watching constantly since the sugar in miso burns fast.
8. Let rest 2 minutes, then scatter the scallions and sesame seeds over the top and serve warm, spooning any glaze pooled in the skillet back over each half.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Kiriboshi Daikon no Nimono (Simmered Dried Daikon Strips) — Japanese
• Yaksik (Sweet Steamed Glutinous Rice with Jujube and Chestnut) — Korean
• Vegetable Japchae — Korean
• Danish Rye Bread (Rugbrød) — Scandinavian
• Miso-Glazed Eggplant with Steamed Rice — Japanese

Keep reading: what sweetness, umami, nutty mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.