Ingredients
35 g each of dry and water-mixed potato starch, 500 g (about 1 lb) fresh tender eggplant, 75 g fatty pork, 40 g (about 1 large) egg, 50 g (about 1/4 cup) fresh broth.
Seasonings
500 g (about 1 lb) vegetable oil, 3 g Sichuan salt, 10 g each pickled chili peppers, minced ginger, minced garlic, scallions, sesame oil, and soy sauce, 15 g sugar, 5 g each vinegar and MSG.
Instructions
1. Beat the eggs with potato starch to form a batter; finely mince the pork, place it in a bowl, and mix with Sichuan salt, potato starch slurry, and a little water to form a filling; remove the seeds from the pickled chilies and mince them finely.
2. Peel the eggplant, then cut it into double slices (two cuts with the first cut not going all the way through, the second cut severing the slice), each about 3 mm thick. Fill each eggplant slice with the meat filling. In a bowl, combine salt, soy sauce, sugar, vinegar, MSG, and water starch with a small amount of fresh broth to create a Yu Xiang (fish-fragrant) sauce; set aside.
3. Place a wok over high heat, add vegetable oil and heat to about 150°C (300°F). Dip each stuffed eggplant slice into the egg batter, coating evenly, then fry in the oil until the surface sets. Remove. Once the oil temperature has risen, return the eggplant fritters to the wok and fry until golden brown, then remove and drain.
4. Heat another wok over high heat, add vegetable oil and heat to about 80°C (175°F). Add minced ginger, garlic, and pickled chilies, stir-fry until fragrant and the oil turns red. Pour in the prepared sauce and chopped scallions, cook until the sauce thickens, then drizzle with sesame oil. Remove from heat and pour the sauce over the fried eggplant cakes. This dish has a golden-red color, a rich Sichuan fish-fragrant flavor, and a crispy exterior with a tender interior, offering a unique and delicious taste.