SMOTHERED EGGPLANT AND SHRIMP

Shrimp freeze exceptionally well, and are always handy to have on hand for simple suppers such as this rustic dish from “Mosquito Supper Club: Cajun Recipes From a Disappearing Bayou” by Melissa Martin (Artisan Books, $35). Martin finds the smaller shrimp sweeter and more flavorful, and is particularly partial to inland shrimp rather than offshore. If you’re limited to the supermarket, she advises seeking wildcaught shrimp from the U.S. and avoiding nondomestic varieties. “This dish has the texture and consistency of a great tapenade — thicker than a stew, with enough structure to top rice or toast,” Martin writes. 3 tablespoons canola oil,

divided

1 pound onions (about 3 large onions), finely diced

4 garlic cloves, crushed

and chopped

1 1/2 pounds eggplant, peeled and cut into large chunks

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon kosher salt,

plus more as needed 1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper, plus more as needed

1 pound peeled and

deveined small shrimp ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper, plus more as needed

1 teaspoon hot sauce, preferably Original Louisiana Hot Sauce, plus more as needed 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, for garnish 2 tablespoons finely

chopped green onion, for garnish

Warm a heavy-bottomed 8-quart Dutch oven over medium heat for 2 minutes, then add 2 tablespoons of the oil and heat for 30 seconds. Add the onions and cook, stirring often, until soft and translucent, about 15 minutes.

Add the garlic to the onions and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes.

Add the eggplant and bay leaf, then season with a pinch of salt and black pepper and stir to combine. Cover and let the vegetables smother together for 1 hour, or until the eggplant is falling apart, stirring every 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, put the shrimp in a large bowl and season with 1 teaspoon salt, the black pepper, cayenne and hot sauce.

After the eggplant is smothered, warm a saute pan over medium-high heat for a minute or two, then add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and heat for 1 minute. Add the seasoned shrimp and sear for 2 minutes on each side, until they’re just starting to brown, then transfer the shrimp to the pot with the eggplant and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to its lowest setting, cover, and let the shrimp and eggplant smother together for about 8 minutes. Taste and season again, if necessary.

Serve the shrimp and eggplant garnished with the parsley and green onion.

Serves 4.

Per serving: 265 calories (percent of calories from fat, 39), 19 grams protein, 23 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams fiber, 12 grams fat (trace saturated fat), 143 milligrams cholesterol, 1,263 milligrams sodium. Excerpted from “Mosquito Supper Club” by Melissa Martin (Artisan Books, 2020).

CONTRIBUTED BY DENNY CULBERT Smothered Eggplant and Shrimp, excerpted from “Mosquito Supper Club” by Melissa Martin (Artisan Books, $35), deliciously melds two Cajun staples into one rustic, satisfying supper.