Papoutsakia Food

PAPOUTSAKIA - LITTLE SHOES (STUFFED MINIATURE EGGPLANT)

Steps:

• Brown onions,garlic, meat and cinnamon lightly in butter, stirring constantly.
• Add tomatoes, salt and pepper.
• Cook covered for about 15 minutes, allowing meat mixture to become quite dry.
• Remove from heat.
• Add parsley, egg, 1/2 cup cheese and bread crumbs.
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Along what you choose to become the'top' of each eggplant, peel a 1 1/2 inch strip from one end to the other and make an incision along the strip to within an inch of each end, making a little pocket.
• Place in baking dish and bake in moderate oven until soft and light brown, about 30-45 minutes.
• Insert knife blade into incision, make an opening and stuff with teaspoonfuls of meat mixture, making sure each little eggplant gets an equal amount of stuffing.
• Prepare bechamel sauce: Melt butter over low heat; add flour, salt, pepper and nutmeg; stir until well blended.
• Remove from heat.
• Gradually stir in milk and return to heat.
• Cook, stirring constantly, until thick and smooth.
• Remove from heat.
• Add the egg and remaining cheese to the sauce and whisk briskly, to prevent the egg from curdling.
• Pour about one tablespoon on top of each eggplant pocket.
• Sprinkle with additional grated cheese and dot with butter.
• Add tomato sauce to the pan.
• Bake for about 35 minutes longer.

PAPOUTSAKIA

Steps:

• 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.

MELITZANES PAPOUTSAKIA (GREEK STUFFED EGGPLANT)

Steps:

• 1. Cut the eggplants in half lengthwise and scoop out the middle leaving the shell about 1/8 inch thick. Heat the oil in a pan. Add the onions and saute until translucent. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant. Chop and add the eggplant that was removed from the shells. Add the ground beef and cook until it is browned. Add the tomatoes, wine, cinnamon, parsley, salt and pepper, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Spread some of the cheese over the bottom of the eggplant shell. Fill the shell with the stuffing. Cover with the bechamel sauce. Place a slice of tomato on top. Cover with the remaining cheese. Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven until the bechamel sauce and the cheese are browned, about 60-90 minutes.
• 2. BECHAMEL SAUCE: Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until the paste cooks and bubbles a bit, but don't let it brown - about 2 minutes. Add the hot milk, continuing to stir as the sauce thickens. Bring it to a boil. Add nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste, lower the heat, and cook, stirring for 2 to 3 minutes more. Remove from the heat. To cool this sauce for later use, cover it with wax paper or pour a film of milk over it to prevent a skin from forming.