Greek Stuffed Eggplant Recipe

Greek stuffed eggplant or Melitzanes papoutsakia as they are called in Greece is a Greek dish that receives its name from the resemblance of its shape with little shoes. The taste and the ingredients used for this ‘Papoutsakia’ recipe are very similar to the popular Greek dish moussaka.

Extra juicy and absolutely delicious, this aubergine-based traditional recipe will certainly amaze you!

• 5 eggplants
• 500g minced beef
• 1 large red onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 1 glass of red wine
• 1 tin chopped tomatoes or tomato juice (passata)
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 tsp oregano
• 100g grated kefalotyri or any hard yellow cheese
• olive oil
• salt
• freshly ground pepper
• 2–3 tbsps chopped parsley

For the béchamel sauce

• 100g flour
• 100g butter
• 900ml milk (3 and 3/4 cups)
• 2 egg yolks
• a pinch of nutmeg

For the mashed potatoes

• 4 large potatoes, boiled
• 50g milk
• 1 tbsp butter
• 2 egg yolks

• Cut the eggplants into 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 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 for the ‘papoutsakia’. 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. In the end, add 1-2 handfuls of grated cheese and chopped parsley and stir.

To read the full recipe, please visit: mygreekdish.com