Crawfish And Artichoke Risotto With Crispy Eggplant

Directions

1. In a large saucepan heat oil over medium-high heat. When oil is warm, add in butter and then onions, bell pepper and garlic and cook till vegetables are wilted. Add in rice and saute/fry for 1 to 2 min, stirring constantly, till grains begin to look opaque.
2. Add in wine and cook till evaporated, stirring constantly. Add in 3/4 c. of the stock, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Continue to stir constantly, adding additional stock in half-c. increments as liquid is absorbed by rice.
3. After rice has cooked for 10 min, add in green onions and artichoke hearts and cook for 5 min, stirring constantly. Add in crawfish tails, heavy cream, half of the Parmesan cheese and parsley, and stir well to combine.
4. Remove from heat, let sit for 5 min before serving, garnished with Crispy Eggplant and remaining Parmesan cheese.
5. In a bowl, combine the flour with 1 Tbsp. of the Creole seasoning. In another bowl, whisk egg together with the lowfat milk. In a third bowl, combine cornmeal with remaining Tbsp. of Creole seasoning.
6. Dredge eggplant batons in the seasoned flour. Transfer to the eggwash, then to the seasoned cornmeal, shaking off any excess.
7. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat extra virgin olive oil till very warm. Add in eggplant and fry, turning occasionally, till golden brown-brown on all sides, about 5 min. With a slotted spoon, remove eggplant to absorbent towels, and sprinkle with salt. Serve immediately on top of Crawfish-Artichoke Risotto, garnished with remaining grated Parmesan cheese.
8. This recipe yields 4 servings.