Wagyu Beef Sauce with Shiitake, Fried Eggplant & Noodles

Fiona Smith

Serves

2

Preparation

15 mins plus salting time

Cook

20 mins

Ingredients

1 eggplant
¼ cup cornflour
oil for frying or spray oil if air frying
150g noodles (I used sliced wheat noodles)
2 small bok choy, leaves separated, stalks trimmed
4 tablespoons Good Chow NZ New Zealand Wagyu Beef Sauce with Shiitake Mushrooms
½ cup coriander leaves
1 long red chilli, finely sliced
2 spring onions, sliced
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

Our winner this year must be the ultimate apocalyptic staple, the food item you want to have hoarded multiple jars of and now can create the most delicious 5-minute dinner. Good Chow NZ has created a shelf-stable wagyu and shiitake sauce based around all the umami flavours you could wish for. Perfect simply tossed through noodles and some greens, in a stir fry, on egg on toast – its uses are limitless.

Here I have added crispy fried eggplant which can be cooked in oil (either deep or shallow fried), or in an air fryer, which I prefer as it is less oily.

View the recipe collection here

Instructions

1.Cut the eggplant into 3cm cubes and spread in one layer on a plate.
2.Sprinkle liberally with salt (this draws out moisture and helps the eggplant crisp up).
3.Leave for 15 minutes then tip onto a paper towel or a clean tea towel and squeeze out the excess moisture. Set aside.
4.In a large bowl, whisk the cornflour with 3 tablespoons cold water to create a slurry.
5.Add the eggplant and mix well to coat (it will not stick well to the skin, but this is OK).
6.To air-fry, spread the eggplant in a single layer in the basket (cook in batches if necessary), spray with oil and cook at 190°C for 12 minutes.
7.If shallow frying, heat about 1cm oil in a frying pan over a medium-high heat.
8.Carefully add the eggplant (in batches so you don’t overcrowd the pan) and fry, tossing regularly, for about 6 minutes until golden and cooked through. Lift out and drain on a paper towel.
9. If deep frying, heat the oil to 180°C.
10.Carefully add the eggplant to the oil (in batches so you don’t overcrowd the pan) and cook for 5 minutes until golden and cooked through. Lift out and drain on paper towel.
11.Cook the noodles according to packet instructions, adding the bok choy in the last minute of cooking then drain all together.
12.Return to the saucepan and mix with 2 tablespoons wagyu sauce, half of the coriander and half the chilli.
13.Divide the noodles between two plates, top with eggplant, the remaining wagyu sauce, the remaining coriander and chilli and the spring onions and sesame seeds.

Recipes & food styling Fiona Smith / Photography Aaron McLean / Styling Jess Hemmings

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