Beef & Eggplant Stir-fry

I’m always looking for new stir-fry recipes and had to try this beef and eggplant one from a recent issue of Bon Appetit. I changed the proportions around a little so that there’s a fairly equal beef-to-vegetable ratio, which made my meat-loving boyfriend very happy. The best part of this whole dish is the “dressing”, which balances the rich flavor from the fish and soy sauce with the in-your-face lime juice and Serrano chile. As with all wok-cooking, this dish cooks in just a few minutes, making it the perfect thing to prep ahead of time and then wow your guests with when they arrive. I served it with steamed brown rice to soak up all the juices, but noodles would also work well.


Beef & Eggplant Stir-fry:

• Combine 5-6 torn mint leaves, 3 tbsp. soy sauce, 2 tbsp. lime juice, 2 tbsp. water, 1 tbsp. fish sauce,* 1 tbsp. grated ginger, 1 minced Serrano chile, 1 pinch sugar, and 1 tsp. minced garlic in a bowl.
• Meanwhile, heat 2 tbsp. canola oil in a hot wok until very hot and thinly slice 1 lb. of eggplant.
• Add in 1/2 the eggplant and cook for 5-6 minutes, or until brown.**
• Remove cooked eggplant, repeat cooking with the other 1/2 lb, the remove and toss all the eggplant with the dressing.
• Add 1 tbsp. canola oil, 1 minced Serrano chile, and 1 lb. thinly sliced beef*** to the wok and cook for 3 minutes.
• Add the eggplant and dressing to the wok and continue cooking for 1-2 minutes, or until sauce coats the beef and the vegetables are tender.
• To serve, spoon brown rice onto plates and top with the stir-fry.

Serves four
*Available in the Asian food aisle of most supermarkets.
**Baby eggplant is ideal here. Otherwise, you will need to quarter the eggplant before thinly slicing.
***I used top-round beef.