Prawn Stuffed Eggplant

I saw this originally as a paleo recipe which I'm completely into, but I live with a hungry man who needs a little bit more depth  to his meal so I free-styled the original recipe to get some rice and other density involved (and played with the flavours… as I always do)

Serves 2

Ingredients

·         1 eggplant;

·         350g peeled raw prawns, chopped

·         1 red capsicum, diced

·         1 tbsp. fresh ginger

·         2 cloves garlic

·         3 shallots chopped (including some of the green)

·         ¼ cup chopped parsley

·         2 tbsp. curry paste of your choice;

·         1 tbsp. fish sauce

·         1 tbsp. palm sugar

·         2 tbsp. olive oil;

·         Butter

·         ¼ cup risotto rice

·         ¼ cup breadcrumbs

·         ¼ cup parmesan

Preparation

1.       Preheat your oven to 200C.

2.       Take the eggplant and cut it into 2 pieces lengthwise. Make a series of parallel cuts, taking care not to cut through the skin. Brush the eggplant (cut sides) with 1/2tbsp. of olive oil on each side. 3. Place the eggplants cut side down on a roasting pan and brush the skin with ½ tbsp. olive oil and bake for 15 minutes. Turn over after the initial 15 minutes and cook again 15 to 20 minutes or until the flesh is tender. When you take the eggplant out, switch oven to grill mode. Scoop out the pulp leaving the skin intact and chop the eggplant pulp. Mash it ready to later stir back through into the risotto mix

3.       Scoop out eggplant and mush, put to the side to add to the risotto mix later

4.       In the meantime ….

5.       In a saucepan, heat the remaining olive oil and butter over medium heat

6.       Add the ginger, the garlic, and capsicum, and cook for two minutes.

7.       Add the shallots and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes.

8.       Add the curry paste and cook until fragrant (1-2 mins)

9.       Add fish sauce

10.   1 palm sugar

11.   Add rice and stir for 2 minutes

12.   Add parsley

13.   The add boiled water ½ a cup at a time until risotto is 90% cooked

14.   Stir through prawns and eggplant

15.   Pour the mixture into the eggplant shells (you will probably have a bit of left over mix)

16.   Coat with breadcrumbs and parmesan

17.   Grill for 10 minutes