Crisp Prawn Stuffed Eggplant

These crisp discs of prawn topped eggplant (most often called ‘shrimp stuffed eggplant’ in English) are one of my favourite yum cha dishes. The brown sauce that accompanies them is a thick, glossy, umami-rich gravy that’s often used in Cantonese braises or stir-fries and to coat dishes like Chinese omelette (egg foo young). My friend Cheong Liew, who taught me to make shrimp stuffed eggplant, uses doubanjiang in his brown sauce so I do too. It’s a paste made from fermented soy and broad beans that’s popular in Sichuan and Korean cuisines. Available at most Asian grocers, it adds a great umami kick to the brown sauce. Cheong also adds some minced pork meat and back fat to his prawn paste, so feel free to experiment. While this recipe has several stages, most can be done ahead of time; you can even fry the prawn stuffed eggplant slices hours in advance then flash-fry them to crisp them up just before serving. The brown sauce can be made a day or two in advance. I love the way a zingy riesling cuts through the richness of shrimp stuffed eggplant, like the one from Hills & Back in the Adelaide Hills. See the video below (and details here) for tips on storing prawns for maximum freshness.

Serves 2 as a starter