Eggplant Shrimp Skillet

Deeply colored, glossy, smooth eggplant looks so beautiful at a farm stand or hanging from its sturdy stem in your garden, but it loses that sheen and freshness quickly once you get it home. When classic eggplant recipes like moussaka and eggplant Parmesan seem too involved for an eggplant impulse buy, whip up this eggplant shrimp skillet. It still bakes in the oven for that rich, roasted flavor, but you don’t have to make a separate sauce, dredge eggplant slices or arrange layers in the pan. Just cook everything together for a few minutes on the stovetop and then slide the skillet into the oven for an easy one-dish skillet meal.

Our eggplant skillet also seems lighter than baked eggplant dishes because it uses plump, juicy shrimp. They release their ocean-fresh brininess into the baking vegetables and soak up the spices. Topped with bread crumbs and cheese, this is a savory casserole with a hint of Cajun heat.

Eggplant Shrimp Skillet Ingredients

• Eggplant: This shrimp eggplant recipe calls for cubes of a medium-sized purple globe eggplant, but you can substitute about 1 pound of another eggplant variety, such as graffiti eggplant or Japanese eggplant. Eggplant has such a meaty texture that this recipe starts with blanching the cubes so that they soften evenly in the oven. Blanching also removes any lingering bitterness.
• Olive oil: Use a good extra virgin olive oil to simmer the aromatic vegetables.
• Celery: Celery plays an aromatic role here, lending its earthy flavor to the eggplant shrimp casserole. Celery, onion and green pepper are known as the Cajun holy trinity.
• Onion: In this recipe, aim for about the same volume of diced onion as celery and green pepper.
• Green pepper: This type of pepper has a somewhat grassy flavor that sweetens as it cooks. Bell peppers that have ripened to yellow, orange or red taste even sweeter.
• Tomatoes: Plum tomatoes, also called paste or Roma tomatoes, hold less water than other types of tomatoes, especially big slicing or tiny cherry tomatoes. Use plum tomatoes to make this shrimp eggplant casserole thick and rich.
• Seasonings: Crushed red pepper flakes and black pepper give this shrimp and eggplant recipe zip while letting the vegetables supply most of the flavor. Grind whole peppercorns just before you mix them into the skillet of vegetables so that the peppercorns release their full complexity rather than just the sharp bite of pre-ground pepper.
• Raw shrimp: This skillet meal bakes in the oven, so start with uncooked medium shrimp (31-40 per pound) to minimize the risk of overcooking the shellfish. Shrimp shells protect the meat through harvest, freezing and transport, which means shell-on shrimp that you peel and devein yourself have the best texture.
• Seasoned bread crumbs: Bread crumbs soak up some of the juices from the baking vegetables and shrimp. Toss plain bread crumbs with herbs and toast them to make seasoned bread crumbs from scratch.
• Mozzarella cheese: A gooey topping of melted mozzarella cheese puts the finishing touch on this shrimp and eggplant recipe. Grate your own cheese for maximum gooeyness.

Directions

Step 1: Cook the eggplant

Place the eggplant cubes in a large saucepan and add water to cover them. Bring the water to a boil and then reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the eggplant is tender, three to four minutes. Drain the eggplant cubes.

Step 2: Saute the aromatics

Preheat the oven to 350°F. In an ovenproof skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the celery, onion and green pepper, and saute until the vegetables are tender, about five minutes.

Step 3: Add the other vegetables and shrimp

Reduce the heat to medium, then stir in the tomatoes and eggplant. Saute for five minutes. Stir in the crushed red pepper flakes and black pepper. Add the shrimp and bread crumbs, and saute for five minutes longer, stirring well.

Step 4: Bake the eggplant shrimp skillet

Slide the ovenproof skillet into the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the skillet from the oven and top the eggplant and shrimp mixture with cheese.

Bake for five minutes longer.

Editor’s Tip: The shrimp will have started to curl and turn opaque pink on the stovetop, so check on them during the initial baking time. Your oven may run hot, and leaving the skillet in the oven for the full time could overcook the shrimp.

Eggplant Shrimp Skillet Variations

• Switch up the vegetables: Instead of eggplant, follow the seasons and bake the shrimp with asparagus in spring, zucchini and snap beans in summer, and broccoli and carrots in fall. Keep the aromatic combination of celery, onion and green pepper for its base flavor and the tomatoes for their juiciness.
• Leave out or change the protein: Leave out the shrimp to make a vegetarian eggplant casserole. To extend the transformation to vegan, replace the mozzarella cheese with one of the best vegan cheese brands. Meat lovers can replace the shrimp with cooked cubed chicken or Andouille sausage or use all three, as in classic jambalaya.
• Add herbs: To liven up the flavors, add a few pinches of several types of herbs. Mince fresh chives, cilantro and fennel fronds along with a couple of garlic cloves. Parsley, oregano and basil, fresh or dried, add plenty of flavor.
• Adjust the heat: Climb the spicy scale with hot sauce mixed into the skillet vegetables, or set the bottle on the table so your diners can sprinkle it on to taste. For a blend of heat and herbs, use homemade Creole seasoning mix. Cut back on the red pepper flakes or replace them with sweet smoked paprika to mellow this shrimp eggplant casserole.

How to Store Eggplant Shrimp Skillet

Store the eggplant shrimp skillet in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It lasts three to four days.

How do you reheat eggplant shrimp skillet?

Reheat eggplant shrimp casserole in a 350° oven; cover it if the cheesy topping starts to brown too quickly. The eggplant will be softer than when you first baked it, but the shrimp will become chewier. To avoid tough shrimp, make a vegetarian version of the eggplant casserole the first night and add the shrimp just before reheating the leftovers.

Eggplant Shrimp Skillet Tips

Can you use shell-off shrimp for this eggplant shrimp casserole?

If you’re in a rush, use shell-off shrimp for shrimp eggplant casserole. These shrimp are usually cleaned by a machine and treated with sodium and preservatives, affecting their texture and flavor. Clean shrimp yourself for the juiciest, tastiest morsels. The simple process becomes speedy with practice: Twist off the head, peel the shell away from the meat, and wiggle until the body and tail shell pop free.

What else can you serve with eggplant shrimp skillet?

Serve eggplant shrimp skillet on its own or over steamed rice, couscous, quinoa or farro. Accompany its cooked vegetables with fresh ones. Toss together a Greek salad for its mild cucumbers and salty feta or a nectarine arugula salad for its sweet and snappy flavors. Start the meal with easy gazpacho while you wait for the shrimp and eggplant recipe to finish baking. For a full Cajun-influenced meal, serve cornbread and sides like spicy fried okra and Cajun buttered corn.