Gaji-jeon (가지전, Stuffed Eggplant Jeon)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Sharp paring knife
• •Rimmed tray and clean kitchen towel
• •Two shallow bowls for flour and egg
• •12-inch nonstick or well-seasoned skillet
• •Thin spatula or chopsticks for turning

Instructions

1. 1

   Cut the fans

   Trim the eggplants and cut each one crosswise into 2-inch pieces. Lay one piece on the board and make 2 lengthwise slits through the flesh, stopping about 1/4 inch before the far end so the piece opens into 3 attached leaves like a small fan. Keep the hinge strong. If you cut through, it becomes loose slices and the filling will fall out.

2. 2

   Salt and blot

   Sprinkle the eggplant pieces inside the slits and over the cut surfaces with 3/4 teaspoon of the salt. Set them on a tray for 20 minutes, then blot very dry with a clean towel. This salting is not for bitterness. It firms the eggplant and pulls away surface water, so the flour and egg can cling instead of sliding off.

   Do not rinse unless you see a clump of salt. Rinsing gives back the water you just worked to remove.
3. 3

   Season the beef

   In a bowl, combine the beef, scallion, grated onion, soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, crushed sesame seeds, sugar, potato starch, black pepper, and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Mix in one direction with your hand or chopsticks for about 1 minute, until the filling turns tacky and holds together. That stickiness is what keeps the beef in the fan while it fries.

4. 4

   Make the sauce

   Stir together the dipping sauce: soy sauce, rice vinegar, water, chopped scallion, sesame seeds, and gochugaru if using. Keep it light. The jeon is already seasoned, and the sauce should sharpen one bite, not soak the whole plate.

5. 5

   Stuff each piece

   Open each eggplant fan gently and press 18 to 20 grams, about 1 level tablespoon, of beef filling into the slits. Flatten the exposed filling with your fingers so it sits even with the eggplant, not mounded. A thin filling cooks through at the same pace as the eggplant softens.

6. 6

   Dredge lightly

   Put the 1/2 cup flour in a shallow dish. Dredge each stuffed eggplant piece all over, including the filled side, then tap off the extra. Flour should leave a dry veil, not a paste. Too much flour makes the egg coating thick and dull.

7. 7

   Coat with egg

   Beat the eggs in a shallow bowl until no streaks of white remain. Dip each floured piece into the egg, turning it gently so the coating reaches the sides and the filled face. Let the excess drip back into the bowl. Jeon should wear egg like a thin jacket, not a blanket.

8. 8

   Pan-fry gently

   Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a wide nonstick or well-seasoned skillet over medium-low heat. Lay the pieces filling-side down first and cook 3 to 4 minutes, pressing lightly for the first 10 seconds so the filling sets flat. Turn and cook the other sides 2 to 3 minutes each, adding a little oil as needed. The coating should be pale gold, the eggplant soft when pressed with chopsticks, and the beef fully cooked with no pink at the center, 160°F or 71°C if you check with a thermometer.

   If the egg browns fast, lower the heat. Dark egg and raw beef is not a holiday dish, it is impatience with a pretty color.
9. 9

   Rest and serve

   Move the jeon to a rack or a paper towel-lined tray and let it settle 5 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature with the dipping sauce. On a holiday table, gaji-jeon can wait better than most fried foods because it is meant to be tender, not crisp.

Chef Tips

• •Buy slender Korean or Japanese eggplants, not a large globe eggplant if you can help it. The slender ones have thinner skin, fewer seeds, and a shape that makes a clean fan. If a globe eggplant is all your market has, cut it into 1/2-inch slices, slit each slice into a pocket, and use less filling.
• •The salting step matters. Eggplant is mostly water, and without salting it turns limp before the beef cooks. Twenty minutes is enough; longer makes the flesh too salty and soft.
• •Keep the beef filling restrained. Soy, sesame, scallion, garlic, and a little onion are enough. If the filling tastes louder than the eggplant, you have made a meat dumpling wearing purple skin.
• •Use medium-low heat and patience. Jeon frying is not deep-frying. The oil should quietly sizzle at the edges so the egg sets tenderly while the meat cooks through.
• •Wipe out browned egg bits between batches if they begin to collect in the pan. They burn quickly and mark the next pieces with bitterness.

Advance Preparation

• •The beef filling can be mixed 1 day ahead and refrigerated. Bring it out 15 minutes before stuffing so it is not stiff and cold in the eggplant.
• •The eggplants can be cut, salted, blotted, and stuffed up to 4 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate them, then flour and egg-coat only right before frying.
• •Cooked gaji-jeon keeps 2 days in the refrigerator. Reheat in a dry skillet over low heat or in a 325°F oven for 8 to 10 minutes. Do not microwave if you want the egg coating to stay tender instead of rubbery.
• •For a holiday platter, fry the jeon the morning of serving and hold it at room temperature up to 2 hours. That is a safe corner to cut. Cutting the fans carelessly is not.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 185g)