KOREAN CHICKEN AND AUBERGINE TACOS

Got a party or a weekend feast you want to jazz up with some fusion? Then my Korean chicken tacos with aubergine puree and purple slaw are just the ticket that you will need to impress your family and friends with. Warm mini corn tortillas with generous dollops of pomegranate molasses infused aubergine puree, hot sesame infused purple slaw, topped with a good stuffing of sweet yet spicy miso marinated chicken thighs and crispy skin.

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KOREAN CHICKEN AND AUBERGINE TACOS

SERVES:4 / MADE IN: 1 hour minutes /DIFFICULTY: Easy/medium/ MEATY

Ingredients

800g chicken thighs with skin

For the sauce:

6 tbsp light brown sugar

6 tbsp rice vinegar

2 tbsp red miso & 2 tbsp white miso

3 tbsp Gochugaru red pepper chilli flakes

5 tsp habanero sauce

Salt & pepper, to season

1 packet of mini corn tortillas

For the aubergine puree :

1 tbsp olive oil

2 aubergines

2 shallots, peeled & finely diced

1 garlic clove, peeled & finely diced

3 tbsp pomegranate molasses

1 tbsp gochujang paste

Salt & pepper, to season

For the purple slaw:

¼ red cabbage, thinly sliced

½ purple Chinese cabbage, thinly sliced

1 medium carrot, peeled, sliced & julienned

2 spring onions, sliced on an angle

1 tsp sea salt

3 tbsp rice vinegar

3 tbsp sesame oil

3 tbsp black sesame seeds

Method

1. Combine all the ingredients for the sauce in a large bowl and mix well. Add the chicken thighs to the mixture, cover and marinade overnight in the refrigerator.

2. Preheat your grill to high. Once hot enough, put your aubergines on a tray and place in oven until charred. This could take up to 30-60 minutes depending on your oven. Turning occasionally so they blacken evenly. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool. Once cool enough to handle, scoop out the flesh into a medium mixing bowl.

3. In a small saucepan, heat the oil on a low heat and add the shallots. Cook for 10 minutes or until soft. Once translucent, add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.

4. Add the cooked shallots to the aubergine flesh along with the pomegranate molasses and gochujang paste. With a hand blender, blitz the mixture until completely smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside until serving.

5. Preheat the oven to 180ºC/gas 4. Get a deep roasting tray big enough to fit all the chicken in one layer. Place the chicken on the top shelf and roast for 25 minutes or until cooked through. Turn the oven setting to grill and turn the heat up to the highest setting. Char for 5-10 minutes until the skin is crispy and almost black. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Slice the chicken into thin pieces.

6. As you cook the chicken, make the purple slaw. Add the carrot, red and purple cabbage into a large bowl and message the sea salt. Put it to one side for 20 minutes. Gently squeeze the salted cabbage and carrot and drop into a clean serving bowl.

7. In a small saucepan, add the rice vinegar and sesame oil and bring to a simmer. Pour over the cabbage and toss. Sprinkle the sesame seeds on top.

8. In a warm oven, throw in your tortillas. Divide up the tortillas and top each with a spoonful of aubergine puree, slaw and scatter over the chicken. Roll up and tuck in.