Melitzanes Papoutsakia - "Little Shoes" Aubergines

This is a very popular Greek dish which consists of  aubergine halves stuffed with a mince meat mixture and topped with a cheesy béchamel sauce. When cooked aubergines look like little shoes, hence the name "papoutsakia" meaning little shoes in Greek. Normally, there's a béchamel sauce topping, but as we don't like béchamel, I skipped it and used grated cheese instead. I had never cooked this dish before, but it turned out great thanks to Argιro Barbarigou's Recipe.

 

"Little Shoes" Aubergines

 

Here's the recipe:

INGREDIENTS

• 6 medium-sized aubergines (eggplants)
• a little olive oil
  
• a teaspoon of oregano
• salt and pepper
• 500 gr beef mince meat
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1 grated carrot (This makes the difference!)
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/4 cup cognac (good quality brandy)
• 1 cup tomato sauce or 2 tomatoes , grated
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 onion finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic finely chopped
• Grated cheese from Epiros (You can use Edam or Gouda if you can't find Epiros Grated Cheese.)

DIRECTIONS

• Wash the aubergines and cut in halves carving the flesh crosswise, Drizzle with some olive oil, season with salt, pepper and oregano and place them (flesh facing up) in a baking pan lined with baking / parchment paper. Bake in pre-heated oven for 30 - 35 minutes.
• Meanwhile, prepare the stuffing. Place a large pan on high heat, add the olive oil, and when it's warm enough add the beef mince meat and cook for 5 minutes.
• Add the onion and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes , on medium heat.
• Add the carrot and mix with the tomato paste and the sugar.
•  Add the brandy and wait 2-3 minutes to evaporate.
• Stir in the tomato sauce and the cinnamon, season with some salt and pepper, bring the heat down to minimum (2-3) and simmer with the lid on for 25 - 30 minutes.
• Stuff each little aubergine shoe with the mince meat sauce, add béchamel sauce and/or some grated cheese from Epiros Greece.
• Place them in a baking pan lined with baking paper and cook for about 20 -25 minutes. Serve with a salad and Techni Alipias red wine or any other dry red wine of your liking. .

Slightly adapted from Argiro Barbarigou's Recipe

Comments

[Skip Bins Now]

Looks absolutely divine!

[FaithB]

Oh my this sounds good. I am going to steal the recipe and try it when I return from New Mexico. I know my roommate will eat it but my father will not. Yummmmmmmmmm