Papoutsakia (Greek Stuffed Eggplants)
Traditional Greek comfort dish with baked eggplants filled with meat and topped with bechamel sauce.
Ingredients
For the Eggplants
- 5 large eggplants
- coarse salt (for sweating)
- olive oil extra virgin (for frying)
For the Meat Filling
- 500 grams lean ground beef, pork, lamb, or a mix
- 2 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
- ½ cup onion grated
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 cup red wine (or Cretan raki)
- 1 cinnamon stick or ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ tsp ground allspice
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup water
- 1 tsp sugar (for sprinkling on eggplants)
- 1 cup grated cheese (mozzarella or Cretan anthotyros)
For the Béchamel Sauce
- 1 cup Prepared béchamel made with olive oil
- extra cheese for topping (optional)
Instructions
Prep the Eggplants:
- Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F).
- Cut each eggplant in half lengthwise.
- Scoop out the flesh, leaving a shell about 1 cm thick.
- Sprinkle the cut sides with coarse salt and place them in a colander for 20 minutes to draw out bitterness.
- Rinse and pat dry with paper towels.
- In a large pan, heat olive oil and lightly fry each eggplant half for 2 minutes per side until golden.
- Place in a baking dish, cut side up.
Cook the Meat Filling:
- Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add grated onion and sauté until translucent.
- Add ground meat and brown well, stirring to break up lumps.
- Stir in tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes.
- Optional: At this point, you can add some of the flesh you scooped from the eggplants cut in small cubes to add more flavor and substance to the dish
- Add wine (or raki), cinnamon, bay leaf, allspice, salt, pepper, and water.
- Simmer uncovered for 20 minutes, until the sauce has thickened.
- Remove the cinnamon stick and bay leaf.
- Stir in grated cheese and mix well.
Assemble and Bake:
- Lightly sprinkle sugar over the eggplant halves.
- Fill each with the meat and cheese mixture.
- Top generously with béchamel sauce. You can also sprinkle more cheese on top if desired.
- Bake uncovered for about 30 minutes, or until the tops are golden and bubbly.
Serve:
- Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.
- This dish is perfect when served with Greek salad or fresh, crusty bread.
Nutrition
Calories: 350kcal
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