Stir-fried Eggplant with Beef Brisket and Shrimp (Altoran Lee Hye-jung Style)
A Summer Seasonal Eggplant Dish! The Perfect Combination of Beef Brisket and Frozen Shrimp
A delightful stir-fry featuring summer’s freshest eggplants, paired with the rich flavor of beef brisket and plump shrimp. This dish is irresistibly delicious, offering a symphony of textures and tastes that will impress any palate.
Main Ingredients
- 2 eggplants (medium-sized)
- 8-10 shrimp (peeled and deveined)
- 50g beef brisket (thinly sliced)
- 1/4 green bell pepper
- 1/2 red chili pepper
- A handful of pine nuts (for garnish)
- Cooking oil (for frying and stir-frying)
- Potato starch (for coating eggplant and shrimp)
Beef Brisket Marinade
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce for seasoning (mat-ganjang)
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 1 Tbsp cooking wine (mirin or cheongju)
- Pinch of black pepper
Shrimp Marinade
- 1 tsp cheongju (rice wine)
- Pinch of salt
- Pinch of black pepper
Eggplant Marinade
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce for seasoning (mat-ganjang)
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 1 Tbsp cooking wine (mirin or cheongju)
- Pinch of black pepper
Shrimp Marinade
- 1 tsp cheongju (rice wine)
- Pinch of salt
- Pinch of black pepper
Eggplant Marinade
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp salt
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, prepare the vegetables that will add color and flavor to your stir-fried eggplant. Slice the green bell pepper and red chili pepper in half, remove the seeds, and julienne them finely. (Tip: If you don’t have green bell pepper, using green chili peppers for a bit of a kick will also be delicious!)
Step 2
To remove any fishy odor and enhance the flavor of the shrimp, marinate them. Cut the prepared shrimp in half. Then, add 1 tsp of cheongju, a pinch of salt, and a pinch of black pepper. Gently mix and let it marinate for 2-3 minutes.
Step 3
Cut the beef brisket into bite-sized pieces. In a bowl, combine 1 Tbsp soy sauce for seasoning, 1 Tbsp sugar, 1 Tbsp cooking wine, and a pinch of black pepper. Mix well by hand. Marinating the brisket this way will make it more tender and flavorful when cooked.
Step 4
Cut the eggplants into 4cm lengths. Slice the thinner top parts into 4 wedges and the thicker bottom parts into 6 wedges. This scoring helps the seasoning penetrate evenly, making the dish even tastier. Sprinkle 1 tsp of salt over the prepared eggplants and let them sit for about 10 minutes to marinate.
Step 5
Coat the marinated eggplant and shrimp evenly with potato starch. Coating the ingredients prevents them from breaking apart during cooking and helps achieve a slightly crispy exterior with a tender interior.
Step 6
Now, let’s lightly blanch the eggplant and shrimp in oil. Pour a generous amount of cooking oil into a pot and heat it to about 160°C (around 320°F). You’ll know it’s ready when large bubbles rise from the oil. Carefully slide the marinated eggplants into the pot, pushing them towards the edge to avoid oil splattering. Blanch them for about 1 minute until the edges of the eggplant turn a translucent blue, then remove and drain. Next, add the marinated shrimp to the same oil (after removing the eggplant) and blanch for a short time. Remove the shrimp and let them cool slightly. (Tip: Adding shrimp first might cause them to cook too quickly and curl up due to the high oil temperature. It’s better to blanch the eggplant first, then add the shrimp. Blanching the eggplant in oil at a lower temperature like this recipe suggests helps retain its tender texture.)
Step 7
In a separate pan, add a little cooking oil and sauté 1 Tbsp of minced garlic (about 3 cloves) over low heat until fragrant. Once the garlic aroma is released, add the marinated beef brisket and stir-fry over high heat. (Tip: Although beef brisket is fatty, stir-frying it with a small amount of oil in the pan allows its own fat to render out, resulting in a chewier texture. Cooking quickly over high heat helps retain the juices and flavor.)
Step 8
Add the julienned red chili pepper, green bell pepper, blanched shrimp, and eggplant to the pan with the beef brisket. Stir-fry everything together quickly until well combined. Finally, season with a pinch of black pepper, 1 Tbsp soy sauce, and 1 Tbsp sugar, stir-frying to meld the flavors. Just before turning off the heat, drizzle in a little sesame oil and sprinkle a handful of pine nuts on top for a beautiful finish. Your Altoran Lee Hye-jung style stir-fried eggplant is now ready!
