Eggplant boats with miso ice cream
This recipe for eggplant boats with miso glaze is perfect as a side dish or a simple vegetarian starter. The miso glaze adds lots of flavour to the baked eggplants, which become tender and juicy after a trip to the oven. The flavour of umami in particular becomes prominent – the fifth basic flavour, which means 'delicious' in Japanese. This flavour is often prominent in dishes with meat, but here you can really highlight the flavour in a wonderful vegetarian dish with the help of miso.
TIP: also try this recipe stuffed eggplant with quinoa, ricotta and romesco or hasselback eggplant with meat sauce
Inspiration for using miso in the kitchen
The Japanese fermented soybean pesto is incredibly healthy for digestion and can add the most delicious, complex umami flavor to food. The dark variety, fermented with brown rice, is a clear favorite and has become a regular fixture in the fridge. It is often used in miso soup, in a flavorful dressing, used to add extra flavor to meat (in minced meat or marinade) or as an umami twist to vegetarian dishes.
TIP: try this one too miso soup recipe or eggplant rolls with quinoa and tomato sauce
In this recipe, the miso paste is used in a glaze that is brushed over baked eggplants. This way, the soft eggplant flesh gets lots of flavor and the small cubes get an irresistibly crispy surface. The roasted eggplant boats taste great as a starter, but they are also a nice accompaniment to Asian food or as a more central part of the meal.
