Eggplant and Shrimp Gumbo

Say cajun spiced shrimp pair with the beauty of browned eggplant in this spicy gumbo.

Purists would argue I missed the classic trinity of onion, green pepper and celery, but this is what I had on hand and it worked out beautifully.

1 cup diced onion

1 orange pepper, diced

1 jalapeño pepper, finely diced

1 clove garlic, peeled and minced

1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves, minced

1 lb shrimp, shelled, deveined and cut in thirds (reserve shells)

1 Tbsp butter plus 1 Tbsp olive oil for shrimp shells

1 bottle clam juice

1 large eggplant, cubed 1/2-inch

2 Tbsp butter plus 1 Tbsp olive oil for sauce

2 Tbsp flour

palmful fresh parsley leaves, minced

Sauté the onion and peppers in a large skillet in a dash of olive oil.

Cook until softened and beginning to brown , about 8-10 minutes. Add the garlic and thyme and cook another 1-2 minutes. Set veggies aside in a bowl.

Meanwhile, slowly brown the eggplant in a dash of olive oil, in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Cook until nicely browned, about 10 minutes.

Remove eggplant to the bowl with the peppers. Season lightly with salt and pepper to taste.

Toss the shrimp shells in a skillet with the butter and oil and cook for about 5 minutes over high heat to sizzle the shells and extract flavor. Add the clam broth and bring to a boil. Cook another few minutes. Strain the shells and reserve the flavored broth.

Now place the butter and oil for the sauce in the non-stick skillet. Let the butter bubble off some of its water. Then add the flour and cook about 2-3 minuets to form a roux. Add the clam broth and bring to a gentle boil. Whisk until thickened. Adjust thickness with a dash of water or chicken broth until you have a nice creamy but rather thick sauce.

Return the eggplant, peppers and shrimp to the skillet with the sauce.

Fold everything together and bring to a gentle boil. Stir, reduce heat, and cook for a minute or two more, until the shrimp are just cooked through.

Stir in the fresh parsley.

Plate gumbo around some fresh white rice, if desired.

Serves 4.

Comments

Chicken Piccata over Squid Ink Pasta

Serve this delicious lemony piccata over your favorite pasta. 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/2-inch thick cutlets 1/4 cup flour 1 lemon sliced and de-seeded 2 Tbsp butter plus 1 Tbsp olive oil 2 Tbsp capers 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/4 cup dry white wine crushed red pepper flakes, to taste 8 oz squid ink pasta fresh parsley for garnish Melt butter in the oil in a skillet. Fry the lemon slices for a few minutes, just until beginning to brown. Set aside on a plate. Lightly salt and pepper each chicken breast. Dredge the chicken in the flour and brown the first side of each in the butter mixture in the skillet. Flip to brown second side. Cook over low heat for a total of about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, bring 2 quarts of well-salted water to a boil for the pasta. Cook until just al dente. Remove chicken to a plate when cooked through. Add capers and garlic to skillet a...

Umami Beef Short Ribs Samin Nosrat

This is the penultimate prep for beef short ribs. Based on the superb documentary by Samin Nosrat, Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat, this is the most umami rib dish you will ever have. Its the combination of red miso and soy sauce that marinates and flavors the beef - give it a long time to work right - that means overnight in the fridge; it's worth the planning ahead. 6 beef short ribs on the bone, about 3-4 lb 1 large sweet yellow onion, diced 2 stalks celery, diced 1 jalapeño pepper, minced 4 cloves garlic, halved Marinade: 1/4 cup red miso 1/4 cup soy sauce 1/4 cup pale dry sherry or Mirin rice wine 1 Tbsp sesame oil 1 Tbsp honey 2 cloves garlic, minced Salt the ribs generously with coarse salt and let rest overnight in the refrigerator in a resealable plastic bag. Whisk together the marinade. Pour into the plastic bag and allow to marinate on the counter for about 2-3 hours, or again overnight in the refrigerator. Preheat...

Chicken Quinoa Veggie Bowl

This is a satisfying high veggie, high protein, low fat dinner for those who need comfort and fitness all at the same time. Quinoa: 1 cup multicolor quinoa 2 cups good chicken broth 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes 1 tsp Ajika seasoning (I used Trader Joe’s - see notes) 1 Tbsp parsley, finely minced 1/4 tsp garlic powder 3 Kirby (Israeli, or miniature) cucumbers, sliced 1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar (see notes) 1/4 cup cider vinegar Freshly ground pepper 12-14 grape tomatoes, sliced in thirds along their length 2 Tbsp fresh parsley, finely minced 2 Tbsp favorite vinaigrette dressing (see notes) Salad topping: 4 small Belgian endives, sliced 2 cups radicchio, torn into small pieces 2 cups arugula 2 Tbsp favorite vinaigrette dressing (see notes) 1.3 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch wide strips 1/2 Tbsp butter plus 1/2 Tbsp olive oil 8 oz sugar snap peas 1 yellow pepper, cored and sliced 1/4-inch 1/2 cup dry white wine 1 ripe avocado, halved, cored, peeled and sliced...

Cuisine Eric

Search This Blog