Hey there, everyone! How are you doing? This is Koken Test.

This time, it's our "This Goes With It" series, featuring vegetable side dishes to add color to your life and dining table.

This time, we'll be using eggplant and tomatoes, with eggplant as the main ingredient.

I'd like to introduce a side dish that goes with absolutely anything.

How about some marinated eggplant and tomatoes?

Alright, let's get started right away.

Let's start by cutting the tomatoes.

The tomatoes... these are cherry tomatoes, with the stems removed and nicely washed.

Cut these into quarters, like this.

Please cut them into slightly smaller quarters.

Do the same with the rest.

And next, we'll cut the onion.

We're going to mince it.

Like this.

The crisp texture of the onion will add a nice accent, so please mince it like this.

If you're concerned about the sharpness of the onion, you can soak it in water or let it air out to reduce the sharpness.

Okay, next up, over here, we have myoga ginger.

Please slice the myoga ginger thinly as well.

Like this.

The myoga ginger really adds an accent, you know.

Okay, please cut it like this.

Alright, for the shiso leaves, remove the stems.

Tear them roughly.

This really enhances the fragrance.

Okay, like this.

Now, for the eggplant, just remove this hard part, the stem.

Be careful, as it can sometimes have little thorns.

Just slice it into rounds, about 5mm thick.

This time, we're going with round slices.

Then, place them flat on a tray.

Arrange them like this, and slice the rest into rounds and arrange them similarly.

Now, on the surface, sprinkle some salt.

Please sprinkle on the salt.

Sprinkle the salt, rub it in, and do this on both sides.

This is a bit of extra work, but quickly flip them over, like playing Othello.

And on the other side as well, press in the salt and let it absorb like this.

Then, let it sit for a while to remove excess moisture and concentrate the umami flavor.

Okay, the surface is all shiny, and beautiful water is coming out.

Please use a paper towel to press down and remove that excess moisture, like this.

By doing this, when we grill them next, the eggplant's umami flavor will be concentrated.

Please make sure to take this extra step.

Flip them over and shake them off in the same way.

And this time, we're going to bake them in a toaster oven.

Eggplant pairs exceptionally well with oil.

So, it's often fried in oil or stir-fried with a generous amount of oil, but this time, by baking them without using fire in the toaster oven, I want to bring out a new texture and deliciousness in the eggplant.

I highly recommend this.

It's healthy, and rather than browning them, think of it as making a kind of dried vegetable—concentrating that umami flavor.

I think that makes it easier to understand.

For these smaller pieces at the end, it's fine to overlap them a bit like this.

Just make sure they don't fall through the bottom.

This toaster has adjustable temperature, so I'll bake at 200°C, but if yours doesn't have that function, just bake normally.

Okay, let's go ahead and heat them.

Now, while the eggplant is baking, let's make the delicious marinade.

Okay, first, olive oil.

Since it's a marinade, we add oil and salt here.

And then sugar.

This adds richness.

We're also adding plenty of vinegar, so the sugar acts as a balance.

And then, for a bit of aroma, add just a little soy sauce.

This is my key point this time.

Then, add the chopped onion from earlier.

And mix it all together.

Once the sugar and salt have dissolved and it's well mixed like this, it's good.

There we go.

Perfect.

Alright, good.

Okay, looking good.

It's less about browning and more about removing the moisture—it's really become like a dried vegetable.

And because there's no moisture left, when you add it while it's hot, it absorbs the marinade rapidly, like a sponge.

That's the key.

Add it to the marinade while it's hot.

It's looking great.

Yes!

It's just soaking it up like a sponge.

You know, the toaster is just perfect for this.

If you use a broiler, the heat is a bit too strong, and it ends up burning.

The idea is to remove the moisture, right?

Ah, it's just absorbing it more and more.

This is what makes it delicious.

The texture of the eggplant becomes really excellent.

I want you to experience a different kind of eggplant deliciousness, distinct from frying or grilling.

Okay.

It's absorbed quite a bit, see? After it's absorbed enough that the moisture is pretty much gone, add the tomato.

Such a beautiful color.

And to add more aroma and texture, myoga ginger.

And the torn shiso leaves.

You can really add your favorite herbs if you like, leaning towards Italian or other cuisines, but this time we'll use Japanese seasonings.

To finish it off.

Okay, good.

Here, taste it a little, and adjust the saltiness with either salt or soy sauce.

And finally, pepper.

Yes, add pepper for accent, and then...

You can eat this as is right away and it's delicious, but if you make a lot and let it sit in the fridge for about 30 minutes, the flavors will meld even more and it becomes tastier.

OK.

Now, let's plate it.

Look at this beauty.

You can really make so many variations with this, and how you eat it is only limited by your ideas.

Ah, it looks so delicious.

Shall we stop here?

Yes, it's finished.

Here it is, served as Eggplant and Tomato Marinade.

Wow, beautiful.

Well then, let's eat.

This eggplant soaked in the marinade.

Let's eat.

Mmm.

What an exquisite texture.

The area around the skin has a bit of texture to it.

And the inside of the flesh is soaked with the marinade and has a melt-in-your-mouth quality.

This texture is the best.

And, while eggplant really does go well with oil, if you fry it and then marinate it, it ends up with a lot of oil again.

This is very refreshing while still letting you fully enjoy the umami of the eggplant.

And the tomato and seasonings provide support with various flavors and textures.

This really, partly because it has Japanese seasonings and is flavored with soy sauce, goes well with rice first and foremost.

But it also pairs perfectly with bread, like baguettes.

On hot days, you can mix it with somen noodles, and of course it goes with pasta, it goes with anything.

Also as a side dish for rich, heavy meals.

I think it pairs perfectly, so please, please try the deliciousness of eggplant roasted in a toaster oven.

Thank you for watching until the end.

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Bye-bye.