Sauteed Eggplant with Brown Sugar Balsamic Sauce
ingredients
1/2 cup flour
2 cups cubed eggplant
1 tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tsp orange zest
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/8 tsp pepper
instructions
Peel and cube the eggplant. Place in a large bowl, and cover with water. Let the eggplant soak for about 15 minutes. Then drain and pat eggplant cubes dry.
In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil over a medium flame.
Toss the eggplant cubes in the flour, shaking off any excess.
Ad them to the saute pan and let them cook until slightly browned and soft, about 10 minutes. If you notice the cubes are sticking add a teaspoon of water at a time to loosen them a bit.
In a bowl whisk together the balsamic vinegar, garlic, brown sugar, salt, pepper, and orange zest.
After the eggplant has softened, turn the heat down low.
Then pour the sauce over the eggplant, stirring gently to coat all the pieces. Let the sauce simmer for about 5 minutes to thicken.
Serve over basil scented rice
RECIPE NOTES: If you have time, before you cook the eggplant submerge the cubes in water for about 15 minutes. This draws the bitterness out!