Athenian Papoutsakia (Παπουτσάκια)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •wide baking dish, about 30 x 22cm
• •rimmed baking tray
• •wide saute pan
• •small heavy saucepan
• •balloon whisk

Instructions

1. 1

   Roast the eggplants

   Heat the oven to 200C. Halve the eggplants lengthwise, score the flesh in a crosshatch without cutting the skin, brush with 60ml olive oil, and season with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Set them cut side up on a lined tray and roast for 30 to 35 minutes, until the flesh slumps and turns sweet at the edges. This is the step that decides the dish: raw eggplant drinks oil and stays spongy, but roasted eggplant becomes the soft little shoe that can hold the filling.

2. 2

   Start the mince

   While the eggplants roast, warm 1 tablespoon olive oil in a wide pan. Cook the onion with a pinch of salt for 8 minutes, until soft and pale gold, then add the garlic for 30 seconds. Add the mince and cook it firmly, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until it loses its red color and begins to catch in small browned bits.

3. 3

   Simmer the sauce

   Pour in the wine and let it bubble until almost gone. Stir in the tomato paste, grated tomato, cinnamon stick, bay leaf, allspice, black pepper, and the remaining salt. Simmer uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes, until the sauce is thick enough that a spoon leaves a clear path through it. Take out the cinnamon and bay, then stir in the parsley.

4. 4

   Hollow the shells

   Let the roasted eggplants cool until you can touch them. With the back of a spoon, press the flesh down and toward the sides to make a hollow, leaving the skin intact. If any flesh is too bulky, scoop a little out, chop it, and fold it into the meat sauce. Nothing good goes to waste.

5. 5

   Make the bechamel

   Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat, whisk in the flour, and cook for 1 minute. Add the warm milk gradually, whisking until smooth, then simmer for 4 to 5 minutes until thick and glossy. Take the pan off the heat for 2 minutes, whisk in the egg yolk, 40g grated cheese, and nutmeg. The sauce should sit on a spoon, not run like milk.

6. 6

   Fill and bake

   Lightly oil a baking dish and set the eggplant shells inside. Spoon the meat sauce generously into each one, then spread bechamel over the top and sprinkle with the remaining 20g cheese. Bake at 190C for 25 to 30 minutes, until the tops are golden in patches and the edges bubble with tomato and oil.

7. 7

   Rest and serve

   Let the papoutsakia rest for 10 to 15 minutes before serving. They settle as they stand, and the bechamel cuts cleanly instead of sliding off the eggplant. Serve one large half per person, with bread and a sharp green salad.

Chef Tips

• •Choose eggplants that feel heavy for their size, with tight glossy skin and green stems. Oversized old ones can be seedy and bitter; no method rescues a tired eggplant.
• •The meat sauce must be thick before filling. If it is loose, it waters the shells and the bechamel slides. Let the pan tell you when it is ready: the spoon should leave a clean trail.
• •Papoutsakia hold well. Reheat them gently, covered at first, then uncovered for the last few minutes so the top comes back to itself. Serve with a bitter green salad or horta, not another heavy dish.

Advance Preparation

• •Roast the eggplants up to 1 day ahead, cool, cover, and refrigerate.
• •Make the meat sauce up to 2 days ahead; it improves as it rests.
• •Assemble the dish up to 6 hours ahead and refrigerate, then bake from chilled, adding 10 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 600g)