Creole Gumbo Pot

Ingredients:

1 sm Eggplant
Fresh ground pepper to taste
Salt to taste
shrimp, thawed if frozen
8 oz Peeled cooked medium-size
2 tb Long grain white rice
(8 oz)
1 cn Tomatoes in tomato juice
2 c Boiling chicken stock
3/4 c Frozen corn, thawed
4 oz Fresh okra
1/2 ts Hot chili powder
2 ts Paprika
1 Garlic clove, crushed
1 Red pepper, seeded, diced
1 lg Onion, chopped
3 tb Olive oil
2 ts Salt
Fresh dill sprigs (opt)

Method:

Trim stalk end from eggplant.
Cut in 1/2" pieces and place in a colander.
Sprinkle with 2 teaspoons salt; let stand 30 minutes.
Rinse under cold water and drain well.
Heat olive oil in a saucepan.
Add eggplant, onion, red pepper and garlic and fry over low heat 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
Stir in paprika and chili powder and cook gently 2 minutes.
Trim stalk ends from okra and discard.
Cut okra in quarters.
Add okra, corn, chicken stock and tomatoes to eggplant mixture.
Break up tomatoes with a spoon.
Stir in rice, cover and simmer gently 25 minutes or until vegetables and rice are tender.
Add shrimp to mixture and heat through 5 minutes, stirring ocasionally.
Season with salt and pepper.
Garnish with dill sprigs, if desired.
VARIATION: Stir in 2/3 cup half-and-half and heat through just before serving.