This is a recipe named after my wonderful wife. She loves eggplant. There is only one change to this recipe. I have replaced the bread crumbs with crushed pork skins, which has zero carbs. The best way to crush them is to put them in a plastic bag and use a rolling pin. You don’t have to get the crumbs uniform, which adds texture to the dish.
3 medium eggplant cut in half lengthwise
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ cup ham, diced small
½ cup onion, chopped
¼ cup yellow bell pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
½ cup seafood stock or chicken stock
½ pound medium shrimp peeled, deveined and chopped
½ pound lump crabmeat cleaned of shells
½ cup crushed plain pork skins
6 tablespoons fresh Parmesan cheese grated and divided
¼ cup green onions finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh basil chopped
1½ teaspoons fresh tarragon chopped
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/1/2 teaspoon Creole seasoning
Preheat over to 425℉. Score cut side of each eggplant half in a crisscross pattern. Lightly coat cut sides of eggplant with cooking spray. Place eggplant halves, cut side down, on a baking sheet. Bake at 425℉ for 10 minutes. Turn the eggplant halves over and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until tender. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Remove pulp for the eggplant, leaving a ¼ inch thick shell. Place eggplant shells on baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Chop pulp and put aside. Reduce oven to 350℉. Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add ham, onion, bell pepper, and garlic. Sauté for 5 minutes. Add reserved eggplant pulp and stock, cooking for 10 minutes or until most of the liquid evaporates, stirring occasionally. Stir in shrimp and crabmeat, cook 1 minute and remove from heat. Add pork skins, three tablespoons Parmesan cheese, green onions, basil, tarragon, lemon zest, and Creole seasoning, stirring gently to combine. Mound about ½ cup of seafood mixture into each shell. Sprinkle each with the remaining Parmesan cheese. Bake at 350℉ for 15 minutes or until thoroughly heated and shrimp are done.
Enjoy!!!
Creole & Cajun Comfort Food is now available online.
Good Cooking, Good Eating and Good Living!!!
