saucy vegetables
weeknight gochujang-glazed eggplant; weekend mushroom bourguignon; and thoughts on treating vegetables with care
Lately, I've been eating a lot less meat — and a lot more vegetables. And I've been thinking a lot about the ways Western culture values, perceives and prepares meat.
* Scroll down to go straight to the recipes! *
I often ask myself: How do I make vegetables less of an afterthought? What might it look like to offer vegetables the same care and attention as meat? Could mushrooms ever hold higher regard than steak? (And no, I'm not talking about truffles!) Of course, these thoughts aren't new or groundbreaking in food studies, but I feel it's worth sharing my perspective. As a recipe writer with a repertoire of vegetarian recipes, I'm constantly looking for interesting, inventive, and delicious ways to present these dishes.
Thousands of online recipes and articles proclaim the "best" way to prepare a steak, roast a chicken, or braise short ribs. Don't get me wrong; I love the rigor and creativity in seeking out the juiciest steak or crispiest chicken skin. I simply wish more of that energy could be directed toward the vegetable and fungi kingdoms. I, for example, want to know the best ways to cook turnips, grill zucchini, and braise green beans.
So this week, I'm sharing two recipes that coax maximal flavors from vegetables. Neither of these recipes is quick; instead, they use thoughtful techniques to create luscious, luxurious vegetable-forward dinners.
The first is a weeknight dinner highlighting a controversial vegetable: the eggplant. This recipe boasts 5 stars and over 1,800 reviews in the New York Times. Anecdotally, this dish converted my husband Daniel, a former eggplant hater; he now prepares it at least once a month. Eric Kim's Gochujang-Glazed Eggplant with Fried Scallions is a wonder, full of sweet, spicy gochujang flavor and soft, tender eggplant.
The second is a weekend project: pan-seared mushrooms simmered in an aromatic tomato/red wine gravy with a glossy sauce. The act of browning the mushrooms, then simmering them, is borrowed from (and inspired by) the classic beef bourguignon.
I hope you try them and love them as much as I do!
Weeknight dinner: gochujang-glazed eggplant with fried scallions
Cook time: 45 minutes
This is a more intensive weeknight dinner that’s well worth the effort.
Scallions are used in three ways. The scallions fry until crispy while perfuming the oil with notes of sweet onion. Eggplant is salted to remove moisture, fried in scallion oil until soft and fleshy, and coated in gochujang. “The result is divine: As the sticky red sauce clings to the fried eggplant spears, it caramelizes in the heat of the pan and provides a glossy finish,” Kim writes in the introduction to the recipe. A final garnish of fresh scallion breaks through any heaviness.
Key flavors: sticky, spicy gochujang-glazed eggplant with fried and fresh scallions
Tips & Tricks
Double the sauce and make some rice: The sauce is highly addicting, but it does have decent heat! We always double the sauce and serve it with white rice on the side to balance everything out. Per Kim, white rice is the move: "This dish is salty, spicy and sweet — everything you want in a banchan — and tastes great with a bowl of fresh white rice."
Don't cook the sauce too long: The very last step of the recipe involves coating the cooked eggplant in a gochujang sauce; the sauce reduces until it just begins to caramelize and cling to the eggplant. We often turn the heat off just before adding the fried eggplant and gochujang sauce to the pan. The residual heat should reduce and caramelize the sauce, though you can always increase the heat if needed. Do not walk away here, and keep in mind that the sauce will continue to cook for an additional few seconds after removing it from the skillet.
This is an active recipe: Almost every step of this recipe, from frying the scallions to browning the eggplants to caramelizing the sauce, requires sharp focus. The result is 100% worth it, but I recommend reading the recipe beforehand and prepping as much as possible. This is not the kind of recipe that can be whipped up in just a few minutes. My advice? Try it out when you have a free weeknight, or invite a friend over to cook with you!
Change-it-up
In Kim’s cookbook Korean American, he includes a version of this dish with zucchini instead of eggplant.
Alicia Kennedy often swaps out the eggplant for tofu. I’d imagine you could press the tofu to remove excess moisture, then fry it up the same way.
Grab the full recipe below ↓
Weekend project: mushroom bourguignon
Cook time: 1 hour and 15 minutes
Inspired by beef bourguignon, this mushroom bourguignon features rich, meaty mushrooms in a flavorful red wine gravy.
Key flavors: Tender mushrooms, carrots, and onion simmer in a broth of red wine, mushroom bouillon, miso paste, and tomato paste until reduced to a glossy, umami-heavy sauce.
What is beef bourguignon?
Beef bourguignon is a French stew traditionally made with beef simmered in red wine and beef stock. It is often topped with pearl onions and mushrooms.
What makes this recipe different?
This mushroom bourguignon is a riff on the classic beef bourguignon inspired by Melissa Clark’s recipe from the New York Times.
Mushrooms pan-sear until brown and crispy, then simmer in a flavorful stew of mushroom stock, red wine, and vegetables.
An anchovy fillet and miso paste provide a rich, umami flavor to the mushrooms. Omit the anchovy if you’re vegan or vegetarian.
Tips & Tricks
Go heavy on the meatier, less delicate mushrooms, such as oysters, shiitakes, and creminis, and lighter on the more delicate mushrooms, like black trumpets, chanterelles, or maitakes. But don’t feel you need to pick up tons of different varieties. The dish will be delicious even if you do a 50/50 mix of shiitakes and creminis.
Look for mushrooms with a plump, firm appearance; avoid those that appear dried out or soggy. Fresh mushrooms should have a subtle, slightly earthy smell. If they smell fishy or quite strong, they’ve likely gone bad.
Give it time: There’s no question about it – stews taste better with time. I highly recommend allowing this dish to simmer for the full 30 minutes. And if you feel it needs more time, continue to let it simmer over low heat.
Adjust as you go (and to your liking): Season often! Seasoning goes a long way here to build up these layers of flavors. The finished stew should be rich in flavor, with a bit of acidity from the red wine, saltiness from the mushroom bouillon, and sweetness from the vegetables. Want more acidity? Add a bit of red wine vinegar. Want more sweetness? Add a touch of honey. Want more savory flavor? Add a bit more miso paste or an extra anchovy!
Grab the full recipe, plus tips and tricks below ↓
What else I’ve been cooking…
This kale caesar salad from my blog, but sub the kale with lettuce. I love making a batch of the caesar dressing and using it throughout the week for salads, dips, and marinades. I tend to make the dressing a bit milder for the lettuce, as it doesn’t have the same heartiness or depth of flavor as kale.
These espresso brownies from Cambrea Bakes with brown butter. They are so fudgy and rich, with just a bit of nutty flavor from the butter.
These brown butter oatmeal chocolate chip cookies from Paula’s Apron. So chocolaty, perfectly crispy on the outside, and chewy in the middle — and the oatmeal/brown butter combo is heavenly.
These fluffy garlic parmesan pull-apart rolls, a recipe I contributed to Simply Recipes. They are very flexible, adaptable, and easy to make ahead of time.
- Karishma
P.S. Happy to hear any feedback you have about the newsletter. Is it too dense? Too long? Are the recipes interesting? Feel free to leave a comment or send me an e-mail.