Autumn Eggplant In Spicy-Sweet Vinegar Marinade

Ingredients

• 2 Japanese Italian or Dutch eggplants, or 1 small American eggplant, stemmed and cut lengthwise in quarters
• 2 small fennel bulbs cut lengthwise in quarters
• 1 small radicchio trimmed and cut lengthwise in quarters
• Vegetable oil for frying
• 1 to 2 tablespoons minced parsley for garnish
• Marinade
• 1 cup komezu (rice vinegar)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons shoyu (soy sauce)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 akatogarashi (Japanese dried red chili pepper) stemmed and seeded, or 1 teaspoon dried red

Instructions

1. 1
   In a medium pot, combine the rice vinegar, sugar, soy sauce and salt, and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring. Add the chili peppers, and remove the pot from the heat. Transfer the marinade to a medium flat-bottomed container, and set it aside.
2. 2
3. 3
   Stem and cut your eggplant lengthwise into quarters. (If you are using a large American eggplant, cut it in half crosswise, and then lengthwise into 6 pieces.) Also cut your fennel bulbs and radicchio lengthwise into quarters.
4. 4
5. 5
   In a large, deep pot or a wok, heat 2-inches of the vegetable oil to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Add the vegetables and cook in small batches until lightly golden, about 2 minutes. Drain the vegetables well in a colander to remove excess oil.
6. 6
7. 7
   While the vegetables are hot, transfer them to the marinade. Let the vegetables cool in the marinade, then cover the container with plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator.
8. 8
   When ready to serve, garnish the vegetables with minced parsley.