Eggplant And Oysters Louisiane Food

EGGPLANT, OYSTER, AND TASSO GRATIN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400°F. Butter a 2-quart baking dish and set aside. Pour the oysters into a bowl and check for bits of shell. Strain the oyster liquor through a fine sieve into a small bowl and set aside. Set drained oysters aside in a small bowl.
• Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat and whisk in the flour. Whisk in the reserved oyster liquor and stock. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a boil, whisking constantly. Whisk in the cream. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer gently, stirring from time to time, until the sauce thickens, about 10 minutes. Season the sauce with salt, pepper, hot sauce, and nutmeg. Remove the pan from the heat and cover to keep the sauce warm.
• Heat the extra-virgin olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the eggplant and cook, stirring often, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in the onion, tasso, garlic, sage, and rosemary. Cook until the eggplant is tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer the eggplant mixture into a colander to drain for 5 minutes. Stir together the crumbs, parsley, melted butter, oil, and cheese in a small bowl and set aside.
• To assemble the gratin, spread about one-third of the oyster liquor sauce in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Spoon the eggplant mixture into the dish. Arrange the oysters in a single layer over the eggplant mixture and drizzle with the remaining sauce. Sprinkle the crumb topping over the entire dish. Bake until golden brown and bubbly, 10 to 15 minutes. Serve hot.

EGGPLANT AND OYSTERS LOUISIANE

Steps:

• Fry bacon in a big skillet until crisp; drain bacon on a paper towel-line plate; crumble and set aside.
• Add eggplant and next 5 ingredients to the bacon drippings; cover; cook over medium heat for 20 minutes, stirring frequently.
• Remove skillet from heat; add in breadcrumbs, cheese, and creole seasoning; stir to combine; set aside.
• In another skillet, melt butter over medium heat.
• Add oysters; cook, stirring constantly for 5 minutes or just until edges curl; drain.
• In a greased 13x9 inch baking dish, layer half the eggplant mixture.
• Evenly spread oyster mixture.
• Spread remaining eggplant mixture over oysters.
• Bake, uncovered, at 400° for 20 minutes.
• Sprinkle with bacon; serve hot.

OYSTER, EGGPLANT, AND TASSO GRATIN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 4 individual shallow baking dishes.
• Drain oysters into a large bowl, reserving liquor. Check oysters for any pieces of shell and discard. Strain liquor through a fine mesh sieve; set aside.
• Melt butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Whisk in flour, then add reserved oyster liquor and broth or milk. Bring mixture to a boil, whisking constantly. Whisk in cream and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with salt, pepper, hot sauce, and nutmeg. Remove mixture from heat; cover sauce to keep warm.
• Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add eggplant and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 5 minutes. Add onion, tasso, and garlic; stir in sage and rosemary. Cook until eggplant is tender and cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper; transfer mixture to a colander; let stand to drain excess oil, about 5 minutes.
• Spread mixture evenly in baking dishes; top with an even layer of oysters. Drizzle with sauce and sprinkle over breadcrumb topping. Transfer to oven and bake until golden brown and bubbly, about 10 minutes. Serve immediately.

MOCK OYSTERS/EGGPLANT CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Soak the eggplant about 8 hours in salted water.
• Remove eggplant pieces from the water in which they have soaked.
• In cooking pot, cover eggplant with fresh, slightly salted water and cook over medium heat for about 20 minutes or until eggplant is tender.
• Drain in colander.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Line bottom of 2-quart casserole with 1/3 of the saltine cracker crumbs.
• Cover with 2 cups of eggplant.
• Season with half the salt and pepper.
• Cut half the butter into small pieces and sprinkle on top.
• Cover this with half of the remaining saltine cracker crumbs.
• Add remaining 2 cups of eggplant.
• Season with remaining salt and pepper.
• Cover top with remaining saltine cracker crumbs.
• Cut remaining butter into small pieces and sprinkle on top.
• Pour in enough half & half to cover (may not take entire pint).
• Bake for 1 hour or until top layer is brown.

EGGPLANT AND OYSTER RICE DRESSING

Steps:

• Bring water and salt to a boil in a 3-quart saucepan. Add rice and cook, covered, over low heat until water is absorbed and rice is just cooked through, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and fluff with a fork.
• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then cook eggplant in batches, turning it and adding up to 4 tablespoons of remaining oil as necessary, until tender and browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain. When cool enough to handle, cut eggplant into 1/2-inch pieces.
• Preheat oven to 325°F.
• Heat remaining oil in skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté onion and bell pepper, stirring, until softened and edges are browned. Add garlic, oysters (without liquor), and eggplant and sauté, stirring occasionally, 1 minute.
• Gently toss eggplant mixture, oyster liquor, 1/2 cup scallions, cayenne, and salt to taste with rice in bowl and transfer to a buttered 3-quart shallow baking dish. Cover with foil and bake in middle of oven 1 1/2 hours. Remove foil and stir in remaining 1/2 cup scallions.

EGGPLANT STUFFED WITH OYSTERS

Steps:

• Slice side off eggplant lengthwise. Scoop out pulp from large piece and set pulp aside for use later. Sprinkle inside of eggplant with salt, replace its top and refrigerate until time to stuff.
• Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Place two slices of whole wheat bread in oven to dry out while it is heating. 3. Melt butter in heavy skillet over medium heat. With the lid on, braise until soft these chopped items: cubed eggplant pulp, sliced mushrooms, chopped celery and onion.
• Add drained oysters, pimientos, dried-out bread, which you have torn into small pieces, and parsley to the above. (For an easy method of chopping parsley, try using kitchen shears instead of a knife.) Stir.
• Beat eggs until lemon colored and add to the above. Turn heat to low and continue cooking for five minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from fire and salt to taste.
• Remove eggplant from refrigerator and discard the small covering slice. Stuff loosely into eggplant the sauteed vegetables and oysters. Place one inch of water in the bottom of an oven-to-table baking dish. Cover tightly, bake 45 minutes or until tender.