gulf coast eggplant with crab

Wash and dry eggplants. Preheat oven to 350 degrees; place eggplants on a baking pan, and bake about 35 or 40 minutes or just until tender. Remove from oven, cut in half lengthwise, and cool. With a spoon or sharp knife, scoop out pulp, leaving a ½ inch shell. Chop or mash pulp.

While eggplants are baking, saute garlic, green onion, celery and bell pepper in 2 tablespoons butter until soft but not browned. Remove from heat and combine with eggplant pulp and all reamining ingredients except ½ cup bread crumbs, remaining butter and cheese. Mix lightly and taste to correct seasonings.

Spoon filling loosely into reserved eggplant shells. Top with remaining bread crumbs and dot with remaining butter.

Arrange filled shells on an oiled shallow pan; do not crowd. Put in preheated 350 degree oven and bake about 20 to 25 minutes or until hot and lightly browned. During the last 5 to 6 minutes of cooking, sprinkle with cheese. Served garnished with chopped parsley.

Note: This filling can also be baked in a buttered casserole dish instead of eggplant shells.

Posted to Bakery-Shoppe Digest V1 #230 by Becky Kivak on Sep 11, 1997