Lee Ho Fook's Crispy Eggplant + Spiced Red Vinegar
the iconic recipe that Gordon Ramsay asked Chef Victor Liong for
hwoo.lee•
March 9, 2026
I actually didn't know this existed until I was on a shoot with Gordon Ramsay. His manager, Justin, told me I had to go try the iconic Crispy Eggplant at Lee Ho Fook in Melbourne, Australia. To my surprise, he told me that Gordon even asked Chef Victor, the Exec Chef of Lee Ho Fook, for the recipe. Having been told about a dish that Gordon Ramsay himself not only enjoyed, but also ASKED for the recipe of, I knew I had to give this a try.
I went to visit Chef Victor's restaurant, and the dish lived up to expectations. We actually ordered a 2nd serving because of how good it was. I would recommend that anyone who visits Australia go try Lee Ho Fook (in both Melbourne and Sydney).
When I was going about recreating this dish at home, I found a recipe for the dish on SBS Australia. I DMed Chef Victor, asking if it was correct and if there were any tips he had. He very generously sent me the exact recipe they use at his restaurants.
And to my surprise, he also told me the batter is a recipe poached off the legendary Corey Lee during his time at The French Laundry. The origin stories of recipes always fascinate me, and the cognitive bias that Corey Lee uses this recipe makes it taste that much better.
I hope you enjoy this recipe! Chef Victor also suggests that the batter can be used with vegetables that can withstand long cook times (like sweet potatoes, kabocha, and mushrooms).
Ingredients (24)
Ingredients (24)
Crispy Eggplant Batter (yields ~1.0L)
Spiced Red Vinegar Glaze (yields ~0.5L)
Instructions
Crispy Eggplant Batter
In a blender, blend Water, Salt, Xanthan Gum until smooth and thick
Once blended and thick, add rice flour and blend together
Once blended, add tapioca starch and blend until incorporated
Scrape down sides of blender incrementally, store in an airtight container until ready to use
Spiced Red Vinegar Glaze
In a tall pot, add glucose, then sugar - otherwise sugar will burn before it gets to temperature
Heat over medium heat until it reaches 121C
In a separate blender/spice grinder, or mortar & pestle - blend Ginger, garlic, and chili into an even paste, not too smooth
Once the sugar mixture reaches 121C, add the ginger, garlic, pepper paste along with the remaining ingredients and stir to combine
it will be very hot, probably spitting a bit, so be careful
Notes
Notes
In my experience, approx. 25 eggplant batons (2x whole eggplants) require 1/2L of Eggplant Batter. However, it is easier to make a larger batch of batter because we're blending it in blender/Thermomix, so I would suggest making 1L of batter at a time. The batter stays good in the fridge for up to a week.
The 0.5L of Spiced Red Vinegar Glaze is enough for approx. 30 eggplant batons, depending on how much you reduce the glaze.
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