Grilled Eggplant with miso

One morning in Miyama, I came into the kitchen to see Yasuko slicing eggplant. She grilled the slices over a gas burner, then laid them on a plate while she made a topping of miso flavored with mirin and sake and enriched with a beaten egg. The whole dish took less than ten minutes to prepare, interspersed with other tasks, and made a satisfying savory accompaniment to our breakfast rice.

Like many Japanese country dishes, these grilled eggplant slices are strong-tasting, not meant