Stir-fried eggplant in season with sliced pork ribs then parboiled in umami-rich ichiban dashi.It is in perfect accord with the first rice of the year.

■ Ingredients（ for 4 persons ）

• 300g thin sliced pork rib
• 1 (100g) eggplant
• 1 1/2 （20g) ginger
• 400g edamame
• Mixed seasoning
  400cc ichiban dashi
  50cc dark soy sauce
  50cc mirin
  10cc sake
  1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• To boil edamame
  1.5 L water
  1 tbsp salt for sprinkling on edamame and rubbing in (a)
  2 tbsp for boiling (b)

■ Recipes

• 1. Sprinkle salt (a) on the edamame and rub in. Leave salt as it is. Add more salt (b) in 1.5L of water and let it boil. Put in the edamame and boil for 3~5 minutes.
  Strain it with a strainer and leave to cool.
• 2. Mix the seasonings well in a bowl.
• 3. Wash the eggplant and remove calyces. Cut the eggplant lengthwise then slice into 1cm thick strips.
• 4. Wash the ginger and shave its skin. Slice it as thinly as possible and cut it into fine strips.
• 5. Separate thin-sliced pork ribs and cut them into 2cm widths.
• 6. Put vegetable oil into a pan or a deep skillet. Heat it up to medium heat and put in the ginger and eggplant.
• 7. Mix them well with vegetable oil and add seasoning, then add the pork.
• 8. Loosen a lump of meat before the seasoning’s temperature becomes too high.
• 9. When the ingredients come to a boil and froth gathers on the surface, skim it off.
  Continue to boil for about five minutes and let it cool down.
• 10. Serve on a plate and garnish with shelled edamame.