COFFEE AND WATTLESEED GRILLED
EGGPLANT WITH JUS

Duck Stock

• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 brown onion
• 2 Marylands, skin removed and reserved
• 8 fresh shitake mushrooms
• 500ml packaged duck stock
• 1/4 cup light soy suace

Duck Skin Crumb

• Reserved duck skin
• Salt

Coffee Marinated Eggplant

• 2 small-medium eggplant (600g) 
• 4 shots of L’OR Espresso (ristretto setting) 
• 1 ½ cups Duck Stock 
• 2 tbsp soy sauce 
• 1 tsp red miso 
• 1 tsp sesame oil, plus extra to taste 
• 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar 
• 2 tbsp caster sugar 
• 1 tsp roasted ground wattleseed powder 
• 100g enoki mushrooms 

Tofu Latte

• 150g silken tofu 
• 2 shots ristretto coffee 
• 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar 
• 1 tbsp soy sauce 
• 2 tsp caster sugar 

1. Heat up hibachi or BBQ and turn oven to 180oC.

2. For the Duck Stock, place oil in fry pan and add onion and a little salt. Chop the Marylands and add to the pan. Cook until golden. Slice the mushrooms finely, add to the pan and cook until golden. Add the duck stock and soy sauce and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until reduced to 1 cup, about 10-12 minutes. Strain into a jug and set aside for the marinade. 

3. For the Duck Skin Crumb, lay the duck skin flat on a baking paper lined tray. Sprinkle with 2 pinches salt. Cover with a sheet of baking paper and another baking tray. Cook in the oven until brown and crispy, about 20 -25 minutes. Transfer to a plate lined with baking paper. Allow to cool then chop into crumb size pieces. Set aside. 

4. For the Coffee Marinate Eggplant, score eggplants and place onto hibachi, BBQ grill or gas burner. Cook until skin has blackened and the insides are tender and soft. Carefully remove the skin, leaving the stalk attached, cut down from the stalk so the eggplants are split in two. Set aside in a bowl. 

5. Combine 3 ristretto shots of L’OR Espresso capsules, 1 cup duck stock, soy sauce, miso, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, caster sugar and wattleseed powder in a large wide bowl. Taste to ensure it has a savoury coffee flavour, with some sweetness, bitterness and acidity. Add the warm eggplant. Set aside to marinate. 

6. Increase the oven temperature to 230oC. 

7. Remove the eggplants from the marinade. For the Jus, strain the marinade into a small saucepan. Add the remaining shot ristretto and ½ cup duck stock and simmer until thickened. 

8. Transfer the eggplants onto the hibachi, BBQ or hot grill pan. Using a pastry brush, brush eggplants with the jus. Let the eggplants get some char on them and turn over and brush with jus (reserve remaining jus for serving). Once charred on both sides, carefully transfer to a baking sheet. Season with salt then lay enoki mushrooms across each eggplant. Sprinkle a little salt and sesame oil over the top and pop in the hot oven for 5 minutes, until the enoki have wilted and are starting to brown slightly. Remove from the oven and set aside, keeping warm. 

9. For the Tofu Latte, place the tofu and coffee into the canister of a stick blender and process until creamy. Add the remaining ingredients and blend together. Taste and adjust to ensure a tangy coffee flavour. Set aside in the fridge. 

10. To serve, pour some tofu latte into each serving bowl. Carefully transfer eggplant onto the tofu latte. Season again lightly with salt and a little sesame oil, before sprinkling over the duck skin crumb. Pour the remaining coffee jus over the top and serve immediately.