CINDY LOBSTER STUFFED EGGPLANT

Cindy Lobster Stuffed Eggplant image

Provided by Food Network

Time 55m

Yield 8 servings

Number Of Ingredients 10

3 tablespoons butter
8 sprigs fresh rosemary plus 1 tablespoon finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 shallot, minced
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for coating
1/2 pound lobster tail meat, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 pound bacon, sliced paper thin
1 large eggplant, thinly sliced into 3 by 2-inch rectangular shapes
8 medium slices buffalo mozzarella, sliced to shape the eggplant

Steps:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over low heat with the 8 rosemary sprigs. Turn the heat to the lowest setting and allow the rosemary and butter to fuse together, but do not let the butter brown.
In a medium skillet, saute the garlic, shallots, and chopped rosemary together in the 1 tablespoon olive oil until the garlic and shallots become fragrant. Then add the lobster meat and gently cook for 3 to 5 minutes. Lightly season the lobster meat with salt and pepper.
On a clean surface, take a piece of bacon and lay it out lengthwise. Coat the eggplant slices lightly with olive oil and barely season with salt and pepper. Put a piece of the coated eggplant on top of the bacon, perpendicularly. Put a piece of mozzarella on top of the eggplant. Scoop a generous portion of the lobster and place on top of the cheese. Put another piece of eggplant on top of the lobster and create an eggplant sandwich. Wrap the bacon around the sandwich then gently put on a cookie sheet or oven-safe dish. Repeat this process until all the lobster is used.
Remove the rosemary sprigs from the butter and set them aside on a plate or clean surface. Pour the rosemary butter on top of the sandwiches until they are all saturated. Lightly season the sandwiches with salt and pepper before baking. Bake until the bacon has browned nicely, about 10 minutes. Garnish with the reserved rosemary sprigs. Serve hot.