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Papoutsakia, (Greek for little shoes)
Ingredients
White sauce
Directions
Trim the stems from the eggplant. Cut the eggplants in half lengthwise and, taking care not to break the skins, gently scoop out the flesh. Chop the flesh and set aside.Parboil the skins for 3 minutes, arrange in a lightly oiled baking dish and set aside.Heat 1/4 tablespoon of olive oil in a large non-stick pan, add the minced lamb and stir constantly, until all the meat is browned.Remove the meat, draining off any juices, and set aside. Add 3/4 tablespoon of olive oil to the same pan, add onions and garlic, and sauté until soft but not brown. Add the reserved eggplant flesh, tomatoes, salt and pepper to taste and stirring occasionally cook for 4-5 minutes, until contents of the pan have softened. Add the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Add the wine and cook for 1 minute. Add the remaining ingredients. Check seasoning, and simmer for 45 minutes. Combine the yoghurt, eggs, cheese and nutmeg. Season to taste. Preheat oven to 180°C. Gently scoop the meat sauce into the eggplant skins which you placed earlier in a baking dish. (The liquid should have reduced sufficiently while the meat sauce was simmering but, if your sauce looks watery, drain off some of the liquid first. You could spoon it into the baking dish around the eggplant skins, or simply discard it.). Top the meat sauce-filled eggplant skins with your white sauce and sprinkle with grated Parmesan. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden. Serve with a Greek salad, crusty rolls and the rest of the bottle of red wine.
Melitzanosalata:
Melitzanosalata Ingredients:
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| 2 |
Eggplants (1 - 1-1/2 lbs ea) |
| 4 |
Garlic cloves |
| 2 |
Tomatoes; peeled and chopped |
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Salt & freshly ground pepper |
| 2 tb |
Fresh parsley; chopped |
| 1 ts |
Dried oregano; crumbled |
| 1/3 c |
Olive oil, more if necessary |
| 6 tb |
Red wine vinegar, or more |
Melitzanosalata Instructions:
Bake eggplants for 45 minutes in a 375 degree oven or in hot ashes.
Peel off and discard the skin, then chop the eggplant flesh while still hot.
Rub a wood or earthenware bowl with one of the garlic cloves, cut.
Add the eggplant and beat with a wooden spoon-- or if available use a wood mortar to pound the eggplants.
Continue pounding or beating, meanwhile adding the tomatoes, a little salt and pepper
2 to 3 cloves garlic, crushed, and the herbs.
Continuing to beat, gradually add the olive oil alternately with the red wine vinegar.
Taste, adding oil and vinegar if necessary; melitzanosalata should be thick and smooth.
Serve cold with fish, meat, or fresh crisp bread.
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