Ingredients
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5 eggplants
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500 gr minced beef
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1 large Red Onionfinely chopped
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2 cloves of garlicfinely chopped
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1 glass red wine
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1 tomatotin chopped or tomato juice (passata)
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1 cinnamon stick
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1 tsp oregano
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100 gr grated Kefalotyrior any hard yellow cheese (3.5 oz.)
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Olive Oil
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2-3 tbsps Parsleychopped
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For the mashed potatoes:
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4 large potatoesboiled
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50 gr Milk
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1 tbsp Butter
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2 Egg Yolks
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For the béchamel sauce:
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100 gr Flour(3.5 ounces)
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100 gr Butter(3.5 ounces)
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900 ml Milk(3 and 3/4 cups)
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2 Egg Yolks
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a pinch nutmeg
Directions
Papoutsakia is stuffed eggplants baked until soft, filled with a tomato-based meat sauce, topped with béchamel sauce and cheese, and baked till they get a beautiful golden color! ‘Melitzanes papoutsakia’ (Greek stuffed eggplant) is a traditional aubergine Greek dish which receives its name from the resemblance of its shape with little shoes. The taste and the ingredients are very similar to the popular dish, moussaka! They are soft, tender and so filling! As a alternative to béchamel sauce, you can add yogurt on the top.
For a vegetarian version, leave out the mince and add mushrooms and other vegetables.
How to Make Papoutsakia:
- To prepare these extra juicy shoe-shaped ‘melitzanes papoutsakia’, cut the eggplants in two pieces and carve the flesh crosswise. Season, and place in a colander for about half an hour. Wash with plenty of water and drain them on some kitchen paper.
- Preheat the oven to 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. Peel and chop the onions and garlic. Place a large pan on a medium heat, add some olive oil and sauté the onions until softened. Stir in the garlic and sauté. Turn the heat up and add the minced beef, breaking it up with your spoon, and sauté. Deglaze with the red wine and wait 1-2 minutes for it to evaporate. Stir in the canned tomatoes, the cinnamon stick, a pinch of sugar, and the oregano and season. Bring to the boil then turn the heat down and simmer with the lid on for about 30 minutes until most of the juices have evaporated. Finally, add 1-2 handfuls of grated cheese and chopped parsley and stir.
- To prepare the béchamel sauce, melt some butter in a pan over a low-medium heat. Add the flour, whisking continuously to make a paste. Add the warmed milk in a steady stream; keep whisking to prevent your sauce from getting lumpy. If the sauce still needs to thicken, boil over a 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 to prevent the eggs from turning into an omelette!
- If you choose to top the stuffed eggplant with mashed potatoes, boil the potatoes in hot water for 10-15 minutes, until soft. Mix in a food processor along with the milk, butter, egg yolks, and freshly ground pepper mix until smooth.
- Layer the eggplants on 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 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 melitzanes papoutsakia at 180C for 20 minutes, until nicely colored.
- Serve this delicious Greek stuffed eggplant dish as a starter or main dish with a nice Greek salad and some crusty bread. Enjoy!
