Morrison's Eggplant Casserole
When the holidays roll around, my dining habits become even more traditional than usual. (And that's saying something.) In serious bouts with nostalgia, I start thinking about such extinct foodways as cafeterias. Two cafeterias were of note in New Orleans during the 1950s through the 1980s: Wise's and Morrison's. Both places served certain dishes that were not often found in any other restaurant. One of those dishes was famous both at Wise's and at Morrison's. The recipes were different, and there was an ongoing argument as to which was the better. (My vote: the old Delmonico's. I wasn't a fan of either cafeteria variation.) I don't know what Wise's eggplant recipe was, but the Morrison's version came to me from a good source.
One tip before we get started: buy small eggplants instead of big ones, and eggplants with the smallest scars where the flower used to be (opposite end from the stem end). Both have less bitterness.
- 1 large or 2 medium eggplants (about 2 1/2 pounds)
- 6 strips thin-sliced bacon
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 1 stack (from the four stacks in a standard box) saltine crackers
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup evaporated milk (or half-and-half)
- 1 cup grated Romano cheese
1. Dissolve 2 Tbs. salt in 1 quart water. Bring this to a boil in a large saucepan.
2. Cut the eggplants into oblong dice about two inches long.
3. Lower the heat in the saucepan to a simmer and add the eggplant. Cook until the eggplant pieces are distinctly limp. Drain the pan and set the eggplant pieces and the saucepan aside to dry a little.
4. Slice the bacon into pieces the size of your fingernail. Put the pieces into the saucepan, and set the heat to medium. Cook the bacon just until barely crisp. Remove the bacon and set aside in a large bowl.
5. In the remaining bacon fat, cook the chopped onion until it's translucent and soft.
6. Crush the crackers into big crumbs. (A food processor gets this done perfectly.) Add the crackers, eggplant, bacon, egg, and milk to the saucepan. Stir until all the ingredients are well mixed. Add up to about a quarter-cup of chicken stock or water, enough that the ingredients are very wet, but not enough to form puddles at the bottom. Also add salt and pepper to taste at this point.
7. Load the mixture into a two-quart casserole. Sprinkle the top with the Romano cheese. Bake the casserole at 400 degrees until bubbles begin to come up and the top to brown--about fifteen to twenty minutes.
8. Allow the casserole to cool for a few minutes before serving. It should be distinctly hot, but not enough to burn your mouth.
Serves eight to twelve.
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