Outdoor Cooking & Charcoal Oven Recipes / Japanese

Roasted aubergine and broccoli with goma-ae sesame dressing

Cooked in the Charlie Charcoal Oven

Roasted Aubergine and Broccoli with Goma-ae

Aubergine and broccoli catch at the edges in Charlie's heat, then get a coating of nutty sesame goma-ae. Kate Fortescue shared this at our Japanese Fire Cooking class. A lovely way to give two familiar vegetables a different outing.

Kate FortescueLeiths trained chef and nutrition expert
Roast
Prep15 minutes
Cook15 minutes
Serves6
DifficultyEasy
Oven temperature220°C (430°F)
RackMiddle rack
CharcoalHalf a football of good quality lumpwood charcoal

Charlie Oven — https://charlieoven.com/en-us/blogs/charcoal-recipes/roasted-aubergine-and-broccoli-with-goma-ae

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Ingredients

Vegetables

Goma-ae (Sesame Dressing)

Garnish

Equipment

Everything used in this recipe. Already have Charlie? Add the accessories in one go.

  • Charlie Charcoal Oven$6,400.00Choose your oven
  • Charlie Oven Cooking Rack$300.00
  • Oven Detachable Drip Tray$148.00
Charlie Oven Cooking Rack and Oven Detachable Drip Tray $448.00 together

Method

Setting up Charlie

Light a pile of good quality lumpwood charcoal and bring the oven up to 220°C (430°F). Place a roasting tray in the middle of the oven.

Charlie Oven Setup

  1. Light a pile of good quality lumpwood charcoal (about half a football’s worth) and bring the oven up to 220°C (430°F). Place a roasting tray in the middle of the oven.

Method

  1. Prepare the vegetables: Cut the aubergine into large chunks (6 to 8cm) and the broccoli into florets of a similar size. Toss with olive oil and a good pinch of salt.
  2. Make the goma-ae dressing: grind the white sesame seeds to a fine powder in a mortar and pestle. Add the sugar or honey and mix well. Stir in the soy sauce and rice vinegar until the sugar dissolves. Start with 1 tsp lemon juice, then adjust to taste.
  3. Roast the vegetables: Place the aubergine and broccoli in the hot roasting tray in the middle of the Charlie Oven. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes, until the vegetables are tender, charred, and caramelised at the edges.
  4. Dress and serve: Toss the roasted vegetables with the Goma-ae dressing. Garnish with black sesame seeds and a scattering of sliced spring onion. Serve warm.

Tips

Cutting the broccoli and aubergine to a similar size helps them cook evenly. Make sure the roasting tray is fully hot before adding the vegetables so they begin to char straight away. Grind the sesame seeds finely for the best dressing texture, but do not turn them into a paste. Add the lemon juice gradually at the end so the dressing keeps its nutty, savoury balance.

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The cook

Kate Fortescue

Leiths trained chef and nutrition expert

Kate Fortescue is a Leiths trained chef and nutrition expert who swapped a successful career as a barrister for her lifelong love of food. Her cooking is all about great seasonal ingredients, good nutrition and making delicious food without unnecessary fuss.

More recipes by Kate Fortescue

Frequently asked questions

  • What is goma-ae?

    A Japanese sesame dressing. White sesame seeds are ground to a fine powder in a mortar and pestle, then mixed with sugar or honey, dark soy sauce, rice vinegar and lemon juice.

  • What temperature should the vegetables be roasted at?

    220°C/430°F, in a hot roasting tray in the middle of the Charlie Oven, for 10 to 15 minutes.

  • Can I make the dressing ahead?

    Yes. It is made separately from the vegetables and tossed through just before serving.

  • Why cut the aubergine and broccoli to a similar size?

    So they roast evenly in the same tray. Aubergine goes into large chunks of 6 to 8cm and the broccoli into florets of a matching size.