Recipe(tried): Fish Flavoured Eggplant, Szechuan style

If you asked me why is this fish called "fish flavored" eggplants (but there is no fish to be found), I can't answer you... (honestly!) I reckon it's the hotbean sauce used in it making it "smell" a bit "fishy"??? ha ha ha... If you are a vegetarian, don't use the pork and use a vegie stock instead. We had this tonight and it was yummy! Mother always makes this for me whenever I go back to Taiwan. She grows the sweetest Asian eggplants on earth and the result of her dish is just remarkable! And I reckon it's also because of her love for me adding that little touch that I simply can't produce myself... (Just wait until I have my own ikds one day!)

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Fish Flavoured Eggplant, Szechuan style

Ingredients:
16 oz eggplant (better use small Asian eggplants as they are sweeter.)
4 oz minced pork (optional)
**Traditionally you will need it but I RARELY use any meat in this dish!
1 T chopped garlic
1 T chopped spring onion
1 T chopped ginger
1 t. hot bean paste sauce (This comes in Jar either made in Szechuan or Hunan.)
Seasonings: (Mix all together)
1 T. soy sauce
1 t. sugar
1 t. black vinegar/rice vinegar (But black vinegar is better here!)
1/2 t. sesame oil
2 t. corn starch
1/2 cup good stock

Method:
Cut eggplant into 2" long and then into 4 strips. Deep-fry eggplant strips briefly (fe sec. only) Drain. (I normally use a wire rack.)
Stir-fry minced pork in 2 tbsp oil until fragrant, if used. Add hot bean paste sauce, chopped garlic, ginger, spring onion and fry the aromatics until fragrant. Add the fried eggplant and seasonings into wok. Stir well briefly until the sauce thickened, dish up and serve.