Seafood Eggplant Creole

2 eggplants

5 tablespoons butter, divided

1 onion, small dice

2 stalks celery, small dice

1/2 orange bell pepper, small dice

12 cloves of garlic, minced, divided

1 1/2 cups shrimp stock, divided

1 pound shrimp, spicy boiled, divided

12oz crawfish tails

1 1/2 cups + 2 tablespoons Gluten-free breadcrumbs, divided

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

2 tablespoons cornstarch

2 tablespoons chèvre (optional)

1 green onion, sliced thin

1 egg

1 cup milk

1 1/2 cup gluten-free flour

Oil for frying

Salt, pepper, Creole seasoning

Prepare the eggplants. Peel them Slice off 8 pretty slices that are about 1/4” thick. Place the slices in salted water. Cut the rest of the eggplant into 1cm cubes. Choose about 3 cups of the prettiest cubes and put in the salted water with the slices. The cubes and slices in water will be fried later. The rest of the cubes eggplant will be used in the dressing.

Set aside about 1/4 of the shrimp for the sauce. Choose the prettiest ones. The rest of the shrimp will be for the dressing.

Make the dressing. Melt 3 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté for about 5 minutes until they start to soften. Add the bell pepper and celery, and cook for another 3 minutes, stirring often. Add about 8 cloves of the minced garlic. Stir constantly until it becomes fragrant. Add the eggplant that is for the dressing. Mix well. After it cooks for a couple minutes, add 3/4 cup of shrimp stock. Cool over medium-low heat, stirring often, for about 10 minutes, until eggplant starts to break down. Add the crawfish and 3/4 of the shrimp. Cook until everything is heated through. Don’t overcook because the seafood is already cook. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and/or Creole seasoning. Mix in about 2 tablespoons of gluten-free breadcrumbs to absorb most of the liquid.

Make the sauce. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter over low heat. Steep the remaining 4 cloves of garlic in the butter until the garlic softens. Stir constantly to prevent burning. This could take 15-20 minutes. Once the garlic is soft, increase the heat to medium. Add 1 1/2 cups heavy cream. Let it simmer until the cream reduces a little. While the cream is reducing, mix cornstarch with 1/4 cup of shrimp stock. Add 1/2 cup shrimp stock to the cream, and bring it up to a boil. Add the cornstarch mixture a little at a time to get the sauce to desired consistency. If using chèvre, stir it in until completely melted. Add the green onions and remaining shrimp, and heat through. Season with salt, pepper, and/or Creole seasoning.

Fry the eggplant. Heat the oil to 350F. Whisk together the milk and egg. Place the gluten-free flour in a bowl and season it with salt and pepper. Place 1 1/2 cups of the gluten-free breadcrumbs in another bowl and season it with salt and pepper. Dredge each piece of eggplant in the seasoned flour, dip it in the egg wash, and dredge in seasoned breadcrumbs. Fry until deep golden brown.

Plate the dish. Place one disc in a bowl, and put about 1/2 cup of the dressing on the eggplant. Top with another disc and another 1/2 cup of dressing. Pour 1/2 cup sauce over the eggplant stack. Garnish with fried eggplant cubes.

Serves 4.