Eggplant And Oysters Louisiane Recipes

LOUISIANA EGGPLANT CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Butter a casserole dish and preheat oven to 350°F.
• Cover eggplant with boiling salted water; let stand for five minutes; drain well.
• Brown onion, bell pepper and meat in bacon drippings until onion is translucent, about five minutes.
• Add tomato puree and heat thoroughly.
• Add drained eggplant and remaining ingredients.
• Place in prepared casserole, cover and bake for 1/2 hour; remove cover, increase temperature to 400F and bake for an additional 15 minutes until golden brown on top.

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, 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.