Melted miso eggplant with green beans

SERVES 4 as a side or 2 as a main PREPARATION & COOKING TIME 30 minutes

Toasted sesame oil 1 large eggplant, sliced into 1.5cm-thick rounds 350g green beans 1 tbsp light and/or black sesame seeds, lightly toasted Marinade 1 tbsp mirin 1 tbsp miso (your choice of dark or light) Dressing 1 tbsp tahini 1 tbsp mirin 1 tbsp lemon juice

1. For the marinade, place the mirin and miso in a shallow bowl with 2 tablespoons of water and mix to form a thick sauce. 2. Heat a generous splash of sesame oil in a large cast-iron skillet over a medium heat. When hot, add a single layer of eggplant and fry for 1 minute on each side. Cover and steam-fry for an additional 2 minutes. 3. Remove the eggplant from the skillet. Place in a bowl, coat with the marinade and leave to soak. Repeat the process until all of the eggplant is cooked and marinating, adding more oil to the skillet as needed. 4. Place the beans in the skillet, cover and steam-fry for about 4 minutes, shaking occasionally, until soft and a little blackened. Remove from the skillet and set aside. 5. Return the marinated eggplant to the skillet in a single layer and fry on both sides until the flesh is totally ‘melted’ and the marinade has caramelised – you may need to do this in batches, depending on the size of your pan. 6. Meanwhile, combine the dressing ingredients and any remaining marinade in a jar and shake well. 7. Arrange the beans in a layer on a serving plate and top with the melted eggplant. Pour the dressing over the top and finish offff with a sprinkle of sesame seeds. Serve steaming hot with rice and a cup of saké.