Eggplant fantasy in a pan

Eggplant is fascinating. Some people call it the "poor man's steak"---enough to say how unique this vegetable is among all others. When I started tackling eggplant, the first problem I faced was its need for oil. When I cooked it in a pan, it would suck up oil like a sponge. On the other hand, cooking it in water turned it into a mash. It was not until a friend told me that the trick to cook it without much oil is to use dry heat. That worked. Since then, eggplant opened up a new door of fantasies. Among various types of eggplants that I've tested, Chinese eggplant seems to be best for tenderness. It is long and gracefully thin, like a nymph, with beautifully bright purple skin. When it is broiled, the skin softens in no time while its flesh gives out a sweet pastry-like smell.

Recipe: Eggplant fried with garlic, dried shrimps and pork (for 3)


Ingredients
- 2 medium Chinese eggplants
- 6 oz pork, minced or cut into 1/2" pieces
- 1 teaspoon (tp) small salted dried shrimps
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1-2 spring onion, chopped, separated into white and green
- 1 cup cooking white wine
- 1 tablespoon (TB) spicy chilly paste (optional)
- 1 TB oil
- 2 tp sesame oil
- 1 tp salt or 2 TB soy sauce
- 1/4 tp sugar
- dash of pepper
- 1 tp cornstarch
- water


Procedure
1. Cut Chinese eggplants into irregular shapes of 1" to 2" long. Spread uniformly on a baking sheet. Broil in oven at 450F for 10 minutes or until top side is drying. Do not allow to brown. Flip and broil other sides, about 5 minutes each. When all sides are done, take out and set aside. 
2. Marinate pork for 15 minutes in 1/2 teaspoon salt or 1 TB soy sauce, 1/4 tp sugar, dash of pepper and 1/4 cup of white wine. 
3. Heat 1 TB oil in non-stick frying pan on medium heat. Add chopped garlic and the white parts of chopped spring onion. Let sizzle but do not allow to brown. Add marinated pork and dried shrimps to pan. Mix well with garlic. Turn up heat to med-high or high. Let fry until pork is brown. Add remaining cooking wine to trigger an explosion of aromas. Add eggplant with 2 TB of water and stir. Let cook for a few minutes. (If you want the eggplant to absorb the chilly and salt taste, then add 1/4 cup of water and cook for longer.) Mix chilly sauce and soy sauce (or salt) in 2 TB water. Add to pan and mix well with all ingredients. If there is more than 2 TB water at the bottom of the pan, mix cornstarch with a little water and add to pan to thicken the sauce. Sprinkle sesame oil and green spring onion on top. Serve.