Greek Eggplant 'Papoutsakia'
CATEGORIES
INGREDIENTS
- Cooking Time: 60
- Servings: 4
- Preparation Time: 60
- 5 large round eggplants
- For the Sauce
- ½ kg Mushrooms
- 2 tablespoons chopped Parsley
- 2 Onions finely sliced
- 2 crushed Garlic cloves
- 2 Bay leaves
- 1 cup Vegetable Oil
- 1 tin chopped Tomatoes
- For the Béchamel Sauce
- 1 litre milk
- ¾ teacup flour
- 250g Butter
- 200g grated Parmesan Cheese (2/3 for the béchamel sauce and the rest to sprinkle on top of the eggplants)
DIRECTIONS
- Preparation of the Eggplants
- Cut the eggplants in half lengthwise and leave them in salted water for 1 hour.
- Remove them from the water, squeeze them and then place them upside down in an oven dish with the vegetable oil.
- Bake them in a pre-heated moderate oven for ½ hour.
- Remove them and place them without the oil in a clean oven dish facing upwards.
- Preparation of the Sauce
- Fry the sliced onions lightly in a large pan.
- Add the garlic and stir for 1 minute.
- Add the mushrooms and continue stirring.
- Add the tomatoes and the bay leaves.
- Finally, add the chopped parsley.
- Keep on the heat until all the liquid has been absorbed and you have a thick sauce.
- Preparation of the Béchamel Sauce
- In a heavy-bottomed saucepan gently heat the butter until it melts.
- Add the flour and stir constantly.
- Add half of the milk and continue stirring with a whisk.
- When the mixture starts to thicken, add the rest of the milk, stirring all the time.
- Once it starts to thicken, lower the temperature to the minimum, add the grated cheese and turn off the heat.
- Place 3 tablespoonfuls of the sauce on each of the eggplants and then add 2-3 tablespoonfuls of the béchamel sauce.
- Sprinkle the eggplants with the rest of the cheese.
- Bake them in a pre-heated moderate oven for ½ hour or until the béchamel has turned a golden colour.