Who says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks? Guys, I’ve been on this planet for many years now and until very recently I never tasted, let alone cooked, Japanese eggplant and now I know without a doubt that they’ll be a regular part of my life. How’s that for progress?!!

So…if you, like me, have lived an up-to-this-point, Japanese eggplant-less life, let’s talk about this interesting and colorful veggie. Other than the obvious color difference, this bright purple variety is smaller, more tender and delicate and has a sweeter flavor than the traditional dark purple Italian eggplant. This makes it ideal for stir-fries and pan-sautéing, which brings me to this delicious and very summery side I’m excited to share with you today.

Here, thin slices of the eggplant get pan-fried until crispy and golden brown, which makes them kinda irresistible! Seriously, you will have to restrain yourself from gobbling them up as you cook them, or there won’t be enough left for the actual dish!

To those crispy rounds you add some freshly charred corn kernels and little tomatoes, along with salt, pepper! Yup, that’s it, but what you wind up with is so much more than the sum of its parts.

Every bite is so full of flavor and texture! There’s the sweetness of the corn, the juiciness of the slightly bursting tomatoes and the crispy goodness of the golden brown eggplant! Yum!

Yes sir, thank goodness this old dog still has a few new tricks to learn!!

Japanese Eggplant with Charred Corn and Tomatoes

Makes about 6-8 servings

Prep Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup olive oil, plus more as needed

• 11/2 pounds Japanese eggplant, ends cut off and discarded and the rest cut into thinish rounds

• 4 ears fresh corn, kernels cut off

• 11/2 pounds grape or cherry tomatoes

• Kosher salt and black pepper

The Recipe

1. Heat the ¼ cup oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is almost smoking and very hot, add a single layer of eggplant rounds and cook, turning, after a minute or two, until golden brown in both sides. Transfer to paper towel lined plates and repeat with another layer of eggplant, adding more oil in the process if necessary until all the eggplant has been cooked. Transfer the drained rounds to a large bowl.

2. Wipe out the pan and add the corn, cooking for about 5-7 minutes, stirring often, until corn is charred. Add to the bowl with the eggplant.

3. Add the tomatoes to the pan and cook for another 7-8 minutes, shaking the pan every few minutes until tomatoes are charred and beginning to burst open. Add to the bowl with the corn and eggplant.

4. Add in the parsley and stir everything together. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Serve right away or allow to cool and serve at room temperature.

Enjoy!

Note: Recipe adapted from Mastering My Mistakes in the Kitchen by Dana Cowin, I charred the corn instead of leaving it raw.