glaze

• 30g white or red miso (white = sweeter/milder, red = deeper/saltier)
• 15ml soy sauce
• 15ml mirin (or 10ml rice vinegar + small pinch sugar)
• 10g grated garlic
• 10g sesame oil
• 15ml honey
• optional: 5g grated ginger

Method

1. Halve aubergines lengthways. Score the cut face in a crosshatch ~1cm deep without piercing the skin. This speeds cooking and lets glaze penetrate.
2. Lightly oil the cut face only. Do not soak it — aubergine absorbs oil indefinitely. Use high temperature oil (vegegable or avocado oil, not olive)
3. Grill cut-side down over medium heat 6-8 minutes until charred and the flesh is collapsing soft. Flip to skin-side down for another 4-6 minutes.
4. Test doneness: the flesh should be fully translucent and yielding throughout, no white spongy core.
5. Brush glaze onto the cut face. Return cut-side down over medium-low heat 2-3 minutes to caramelise. Watch closely — it scorches quickly.
6. Re-glaze and finish skin-side down 1-2 minutes to set the lacquer without burning.