Papoutsakia - Stuffed Eggplants

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Most people have heard of moussaka, the classic Greek dish you find in most tavernas, the layered eggplant, meat sauce and bechamel dish, all fragrant and delicious. Well you will be forgiven for not known it’s very close relative, the papoutsakia.

Papoutsakia translates to little shoes in Greek. And these delicous eggplants resemble little shoes, hence the name!

Made very similar to moussaka, this recipe I learned from my mum and I have used this for many occasions. I find these much nice when you are having guests, also since I bake the eggplants and not fry them, a healthier alternative as well.

Recipe

Papoutsakia

Ingredients

Bechamel Sauce

• 50g plain flour

• 50g butter

• 500ml full cream milk heated up

• 1/2 cup kefalograviera (or parmessan)

• salt

• freshly grated nutmeg

Meat Sauce

• 1/4 cup olive oil

• 500gr beef mince

• 1 tin crushed tomatoes

• 1 onion chopped

• 2 garlic cloves minced

• 1/2ts cinammon

• 1/2ts ground nutmeg

• 1/2ts ground nutmeg

• 2 bay leaves

• pinch of sugar

• 1/4 cup red wine (or water)

Eggplants

• 3 eggplants cut in half lengthwise

• olive oil for brushing eggplans

• salt & pepper

Directions

Eggplants

1. Pre-heat oven to 200°

2. Score eggplants cutside

3. Brush cutside with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper

4. Line baking dish with baking paper, add eggplants cutside down and bake in oven for 30-40 minutes, set aside to cool

5. Lightly press the cutside with the spoon to make eggplant half like a “cup”

Meat Sauce

1. Chop onion and garlic

2. Place pan over heat, add olive oil, onion and garlic, cook until onion is soft

3. Add meat and “chop” to make it less clumpy, saute until meat has browned

4. Add the tomato, wine (or water), cinammon, nutmeg, cloves, bayleaves and sugar

5. Cook for about 30 minutes, stirring occationally, until it has reduced. Take off heat remove bay leaves and allow to cool a little

Bechamel Sauce

1. Place saucepan on slow heat, add butter until slightly melted then add flour.

2. Whisk until flour and butter form a mixture and flour has slightly cooked.

3. Add milk in batches, making sure you whisk it and it totally combines before you add more milk.

4. Once all milk has been added and the mixture is smooth and silky, remove from heat, add salt, nutmeg and grated cheese

5. Set aside ready for assembly

Assembly

1. Line a baking tray with baking paper and add the eggplants individually allowing for space in between

2. Fill the eggplant with the meat mixture

3. Spoon the bechamel on top of the meat mixture

4. Bake for a further 15-20 minutes until bechamel becomes golden

HINT- You could use 2 egg yolks in the bechamel right at the end, I prefer not to, as I find no eggs are a lot lighter to the recipe