Author Notes
I once had the most amazing eggplant dumplings at Aqua in San Francisco and had wanted to try something similar. Rather than the luxurious lobster broth they were served with, I decided to pair them with an earthy mushroom broth. Some sweet bursts of peas and carrots balance that earthy smoke and the watercress adds a perfect bite. —savorthis
Ingredients
- Mushroom Broth
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1 tablespoon
oil
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1 1/4 pounds
white mushrooms, roughly chopped
-
1
leek, washed, white parts thinly sliced
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1
garlic clove, minced
-
1/2 cup
dried porcinis
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1 cup
medium dry sake
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1/3 cup
soy
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6 cups
water
-
3/4 cup
peas
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1
carrot, thinly sliced
-
1 bunch
watercress
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chili oil (optional)
-
rice vinegar (optional)
- Eggplant Dumplings
-
1
eggplant
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1 tablespoon
garlic, minced
-
1 teaspoon
hoisin
-
1 tablespoon
ginger, grated
-
1 teaspoon
soy sauce
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1
green onion, thinly sliced
-
won ton wrappers
Directions
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Sauté mushrooms, leeks and garlic until mushrooms have released their juices. Add sake, soy, dried mushrooms and water and simmer, covered, with the lid slightly cracked about an hour. Pour through a fine meshed strainer and return to pot. Add peas and carrots and cook until carrots are just tender.
-
Char eggplant all over (on grill, under broiler, or over flame) until very soft being careful to not burn too much. Place in a bowl and cover with lid or plastic wrap to steam until cool. Peel and finely chop eggplant. Stir in remaining ingredients and adjust with salt if needed. Place a teaspoon of filling into a wrapper, wet edges and form in some fashion that suits you. Dumplings can be simmered in soup or steamed separately (about 8-10 minutes). Serve with watercress and a few drops each rice vinegar and chili oil if desired.
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