From the water

Eggplant Napoleon with Crawfish Cream

When you want that rich and savory, sinful dish in the south nothing can beat this seafood 🦞 eggplant napoleon. Towering stacks of fried eggplant with crawfish and jumbo lump crabmeat. We tie it all together with a crawfish and tasso cream sauce served over linguine.

Ingredients

Sauce

1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion diced
1 red bell pepper diced
4 cloves garlic minced
1 piece tasso diced
3 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
2 qt heavy cream
1 can Rotel
Lil’ Bit Better Creole Seasoning
Paprika
2 tsp dried Italian herbs

1 lb. crawfish tails
1 lb. lump or jumbo lump crabmeat
1 package linguine
2 small or 1 large eggplant
2 cups flour
2 eggs 🥚
1/2 cup milk
1 cup Italian bread crumbs
1 cup Panko
Lil’ Bit Better Creole Seasoning to taste
Oil for frying
Fresh parmesan

Directions

To make sauce, brown diced tasso in olive oil. Add in diced onions and peppers and cook until soft. Add garlic and cook 3 more minutes.
Add in 3 tbsp butter and melt. Sprinkle in flour to make a light roux and cook 3 minutes.
Add in Rotel and seasoning. Start with Italian herbs. 1-1/2 tbsp Tonys and 1-1/2 tbsp paprika.
Add in heavy cream and bring to simmer for 15 minutes.
Add 1/2 lb. of crawfish tails with any fat and cook for 5 more minutes. Taste for seasoning and adjust to your liking. Set aside once done.
Cook linguine.
Slice eggplant to desired thickness. I don’t like to go more than a half inch on these.
Heat oil to 350. Then start with a 3-step breading by seasoning flour in one bowl . Add eggs and milk and season and mix well in the next bowl. Add breadcrumbs and panko to the last bowl. Pass each pieces through flour first, then egg , then breadcrumbs making sure of an even coat.
Fry the pieces until golden brown, flipping as needed. Set aside on wire rack once done.
Sautee the remaining crawfish and crabmeat for 3 minutes and lightly cover with reserved sauce.
Toss linguine in sauce to lightly cover.
Assemble plate with pasta, 1 layer of eggplant, seafood then repeat eggplant and seafood.
Fresh grate some Parmesan over top and serve.