Crispy eggplant fried golden brown is a study in textural contrast. While the crusty exterior crackles with crispness, the inside cooks to a smooth, almost sauce-like creaminess. And when topped with a velvet cloak of rich and spicy crawfish étouffée, this Cajun recipe for Fried Eggplant with Crawfish Étouffée is a culinary combination that is sheer genius.
This Fried Eggplant with Crawfish Étouffée recipe might be the perfect appetizer. (All photos credit: George Graham)
I’ve danced around this dish for years, but never sorted it out for this particular pairing until now. Eggplant is often seen in Cajun and Creole dishes cooked down and smothered in a dressing or sometimes fried up and combined with poached eggs for brunch. On occasion, I’ve topped fried eggplant with a Creole tomato red gravy for an Italian parm-like dish. And I’ve even done a Cajun recipe featuring a whole eggplant scooped out into a pirogue and fried up as a vessel for seafood. You just can’t beat the versatility of eggplant.
The variety and versatility of eggplant is never-ending.
But this Fried Eggplant with Crawfish Étouffée recipe version impresses me on several fronts. It is the perfect starter to an elegant dinner party. I like the convenience of the make-ahead étouffée sauce combined with the quick 5-minute, fried-to-order crispness of the eggplant that ensures this dish is at the peak of quality when served. My guests are always astounded.
Give this Fried Eggplant with Crawfish Étouffée recipe a try and I’ll bet it becomes a classic on your Acadiana table as well.
Fried Eggplant with Crawfish Étouffée: Serve it up family style.
- 1 stick unsalted butter
- 1 cup diced yellow onion
- ½ cup diced green bell pepper
- ½ cup diced celery
- ½ tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 pound Louisiana crawfish tail meat
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- ½ cup seafood stock
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Dash of hot sauce
- 1 large eggplant
- Kosher salt
- Peanut oil
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon Acadiana Table Cajun Seasoning Blend, see recipe here
- 1 large egg, beaten
- ½ cup whole milk
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- 1 cup unseasoned bread crumbs
- ½ cup diced green onion tops
- In a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add the onion, bell pepper, and celery, and sauté until the onions turn translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, lower the heat to simmer, and stir to combine. Add the crawfish tail meat and stir to combine. Sprinkle the flour over the mixture, stir to incorporate, and add the stock. Stir until the stock thickens into a tight sauce-like consistency, about 5 minutes. Let simmer for 5 minutes longer and then turn off the heat. Keep warm until ready to serve.
- Slice the eggplant into 4 rounds of uniform 1-inch thickness. Place on a plate lined with paper towels. Sprinkle both sides with salt and place in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or overnight.
- In a large pot with at least 3 inches of oil over medium-high heat, bring the temperature of the oil to 350ºF.
- Remove the eggplant from the refrigerator and using paper towels remove any excess moisture or surface salt.
- In a shallow bowl, add the flour and seasoning. Stir to combine.
- In a shallow bowl, add the egg, milk, and hot sauce; whisk to combine.
- In a shallow bowl, add the bread crumbs.
- Dip each eggplant round into the flour; add to the egg mixture; and coat with the bread crumbs.
- Add the coated eggplant to the hot grease and fry until golden brown on both sides, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove and drain on paper towels. Lightly sprinkle with salt.
- For serving, add the eggplant rounds to a platter and spoon a generous portion of étouffée over each. Sprinkle with green onion tops and serve family style as an appetizer.
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Can’t wait to try this. Thanks for posting; love the recipes. From a true “Cajun” girl, raised in Ville Platte, LA. Living in Bethlehem, PA, but I took all of my Cajuns with me and spread it around. Thanks George.
Nancy Fontenot DelVecchio
I assume you add the crawfish in the last 5 or so minutes? Am planning on cooking this on Sunday for our kids and grand kids. It looks wonderful…
Hey Bill- A couple of points here: First, the crawfish tails are already cooked, so you are correct in that they need little time to actually “cook.” However, crawfish (and their juices) impart a lot of flavor into the pot, so don’t be afraid to let them simmer and soak for 10 minutes or so. In that little amount of time, the sauce will take on a rich flavor profile. One more thing: if using packaged crawfish tail meat, be sure to get all the fat and juices out of the package by shaking it up with a bit of water and adding it to your pot. All the best.
George,
Bill might have noticed that there isn’t a mention of when to add the crawfish in your instructions. This dish sounds spectacular and I believe it will work great for the entree’ too.
We love your recipes and the friends that got your cookbook from us for Christmas are raving about the creative ways to enjoy our rich regional food through your ideas.
Hey Clint – Thanks to you (and Bill) I have clarified exactly when to add the crawfish tail meat. Thanks for the comment and so glad you and your friends are part of the Acadiana Table family. All the best.
I want to cook this for my Acadiana and New Orleans native parents. They will love this!