papoutsakia
Greek dish known for its flavorful combination of ingredients. These meat-stuffed eggplant halves with a tomato sauce topped with a bechamel sauce are super.
Ingredients
Main ingredient
- 4 medium eggplants (aubergines)
- 50 grams grated kefalotyri
- 8 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp salt, more if needed
Meat Filling with Tomato Sauce
- 500 grams beef or lamb mince meat
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 large onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 large carrot
- 2 large tomatoes
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1/2 cup dry red wine
- 2 bay leaves (daphne)
- 1/4 tsp cinammon
- 1/4 tsp allspice (bahari)
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp each, salt and pepper
Bechamel Sauce
- 40 grams unsalted butter
- 40 grams all-purpose flour
- 500 ml whole milk, room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 50 grams kefalotyri
Instructions
Main Ingredient Preparation
- Rinse eggplants with water and pat dry. Leave stems on.
- Cut eggplants in half lengthwise. Make criss-cross cuts in the centers, the meaty part, making sure not to cut all the way down to the skin. Leave the edges untouched.
- Using the 8 tablespoons of olive oil, thoroughly coat the eggplants halves, both inside and the outer skin. Sprinkle with the salt, pepper and thyme. Place eggplant halves skin side up on a baking tray lined with baking paper.
- Put the tray into preheated oven, 200c or 390f no air, and bake for about 30 minutes or until soft.
- Remove from oven, Flip halves over and allow to cool.
Meat Stuffing Preparation
- Shred the carrot, grate the tomatoes, chop the onion, finely chop the garlic. Set aside.
- Place 1/4 cup olive olive into a large pan, put on high heat. Saute the onion first, until translucent. Add the garlic, sautee a minute more. Add in the carrot and continue to saute, mxing regularly.
- Add in the seasonings -- the bay leaves, cinammon, allspice, and nutmeg. Mix well. Add in the tomato paste, mix and allow to saute for about 2-3 minutes.
- Stir in the mince meat, breaking it up with a wooden spoon and sauté until all moisture is gone. Pour in the red wine to deglaze the pan and allow the alcohol to evaporate.
- Add the grated tomato and a good pinch of salt and pepper, mix. Bring to a boil then turn the heat down and simmer with the lid on for about 30 minutes or until most of the juices have evaporated. Set aside when done.
Bechamel Sauce Preparation
- Heat the milk and add the nutmeg, warm not boiling, Set aside when done.
- Use a large pot and place the butter over low-medium heat. Add the flour whisking continuously to make a paste, cook it a bit until there is a nutty aroma. Depending on your stove, it should take about 2 - 3 minutes while you are constantly whisking. Next, with a ladle, add warm milk in a steady stream; keep whisking in order to prevent your sauce from getting lumpy. Make sure pot is over low heat. Its consistency should resemble a thick cream.
- Remove the béchamel pot from the stove and stir in the egg yolk, salt, pepper, and most of the kefalotyri cheese. Reserve some cheese to sprinkle on top of the papoutsakia. Whisk quickly, in order to prevent the eggs from turning into an omelette! Make sure cheese is melting. Place pot back on low-medium heat for just about 5 minutes or when you see the first bubbles in the pot. Continue stirring. Take off heat. Set the béchamel sauce aside.
Assembly
- Oil a large baking pan that can fit all the eggplant halves, skin side down.
- Create a hollow area in the center of the eggplant halve by using a small fork. Spoon the meat sauce into each halve, as much as needed.
- After filling all the eggplants with the meat sauce, top each with the bechanel sauce. Sprinkle the leftover kefalotyri cheese on top of each papoutsaki.
- Bake in preheated oven, 200c or 390f for about 25 minutes or when cheese is melted and golden brown.
- Once removed from the oven, allow to rest 10 minutes before serving. Kali Orexi!