greek stuffed eggplant

This aubergine based traditional Greek dish will certainly amaze you! 'Melitzanes papoutsakia' (Greek stuffed eggplant) is a Greek recipe which receives its name from the resemblance of its shape with little shoes.

Greek stuffed Eggplant recipe (Melitzanes Papoutsakia)

eggplants

minced beef (18 oz.)

red onion, finely chopped

red wine

tomatoes

cinnamon

oregano

grated kefalotyri or any hard yellow cheese (3.5 oz.)

olive oil

salt and pepper

parsley

flour (3.5 ounces)

butter (3.5 ounces)

milk

nutmeg

salt

potatoes, boiled

milk (1.7 oz.)

butter

To prepare these extra juicy shoe-shaped &#8216;melitzanes papoutsakia&#8217; recipe, cut the eggplants in two pieces and carve them crosswise (the flesh). Season the eggplants and place them in a colander for about half an hour. Wash them with plenty of water and drain them on some kitchen paper.

Preheat the oven at 200C. Season the eggplants with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Place the eggplants (with the skin facing up) in a baking tray, lined with parchment paper. Bake the eggplants for 40 minutes, until softened.

In the meantime, prepare the meat sauce for the &#8216;papoutsakia&#8217;. Peel and chop the onions and garlic. Place a large pan on medium heat, add some olive oil and the onions and sauté, until softened. Stir in the garlic and sauté. Turn the heat up, add the minced beef breaking it up with your spoon and sauté. Deglaze with the red wine and wait 1-2 minutes to evaporate. Stir in the canned tomatoes, the cinnamon stick, a pinch of sugar, the oregano and season. Bring to the boil, turn the heat down and simmer with the lid on for about 30 minutes, until most of the juices have evaporated. At the end, add 1-2 handfuls grated cheese and chopped parsley and stir.

Prepare the béchamel sauce for the Greek stuffed eggplant. Use a large pan to melt some butter over low-medium heat. Add the flour whisking continuously to make a paste. Add warmed milk in a steady stream; keep whisking in order to prevent your sauce from getting lumpy. If the sauce still needs to thicken, boil over low heat while continuing to stir. Remove the pan from the stove, stir in the egg yolks and season with salt, pepper and a pinch of nutmeg. Whisk quickly, in order to prevent the eggs from turning an omelette! Season with salt to taste.

If you choose to top these Greek stuffed eggplant dish with mashed potatoes, boil the potatoes in hot water for 10 -15 minutes, until soft. Add them in a food processor, along with the milk, butter, the egg yolks, freshly ground pepper and mix until smooth.

Layer the eggplants at the bottom of a baking pan, with the skin down. Remove some of the flesh, to make room for the filling. Sprinkle the eggplants with some grated cheese and spoon the meat sauce on top of each piece. Top with the béchamel sauce or mashed potatoes and sprinkle with grated cheese. Bake the &#8216;melitzanes papoutsakia&#8217; at 180C for 20 minutes, until nicely coloured.

Serve this delicious Greek stuffed eggplant dish as a starter or main dish with a nice Greek salad and some crusty bread. Enjoy!

Greek stuffed eggplant with meat sauce, topped with a rich béchamel sauce is one of the heartiest and most filling dishes of the Mediterranean cuisine.

Greek Stuffed Eggplant

1pound (500 grams) beef and/or lamb (ground)

onion (minced)

garlic (minced)

tomatoes (chopped)

(400 grams) chopped tomatoes

cheese

sugar

cinnamon cinnamon (optional)

parsley or/and mint

pepper

⅛ cup (300 milliliters) lukewarm milk

⅛ cup (30 grams) all-purpose flour

(30 grams) butter

nutmeg (optional)

Salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 392°F (200°C).

Trim ends from eggplant (optional) and halve lengthwise.

Place eggplant in a colander and sprinkle lightly with salt (optional). Set aside for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Rinse the eggplant slices and dry them with paper towels.

Use a sharp knife to criss-cross and score the flesh. You should only carve each eggplant half, not puncture or cut them completely down to the skin. Brush eggplant skin and flesh with olive oil. Season with salt, pepper, and oregano.

Place the eggplant halves on a parchment-lined baking pan, cut side down. Bake for 30-40 minutes, until softened and lightly golden. Remove from the oven and set aside.

THE EGGPLANT

In the meantime, in a large pan or deep skillet over medium heat add the olive oil. Add the onion for 5 minutes and stir in the garlic for another for 3 minutes. Add the ground meat, stir lightly and sauté for 10 minutes.

Add the tomatoes, sugar, and cinnamon (optional), raise heat to medium-high and simmer for at least 20 minutes until most of the liquid cooks off. Remove from heat, add the cheese, parsley or/and mint. Remove the cinnamon stick if used. Set aside to cool.

While the meat sauce is simmering prepare the bechamel.

GROUND MEAT SAUCE

Add the butter to a small pot over medium-low heat. Once it melts add the flour, salt, pepper and stir continuously for a few mins. Add gradually (3-4 times) the lukewarm milk*(1) to the flour/butter mixture. Each time stir vigorously and wait until the milk is completely incorporated. Remove from heat*(2) and add the nutmeg (optional), cheese, egg yolks, salt, and pepper. Continue to stir until the sauce thickens.

THE BECHAMEL

Use a spoon to fill the eggplant halves with meat sauce. Top with béchamel and bake in a preheated 356 °F (180°C) oven for 20 mins or until browned.

Serve with fresh chopped parsley (optional) and a fine red dry wine (recommended).

ASSEMBLING

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