Papoutsakia: Stuffed Eggplant with Lamb
Halved eggplants filled with spiced ground lamb and topped with creamy béchamel sauce, then baked until golden. A showstopping Greek classic that feels fancy but is surprisingly straightforward.
- Total time
- 50 min
- Servings
- 4
- Calories
- 485
- Protein
- 28g
Ingredients
- 2 whole eggplants, medium
- ¾ pound ground lamb
- 1 whole onion, yellow
- 3 whole garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 3 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1.5 cup whole milk
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated
- ½ cup Pecorino Romano cheese, grated
Instructions
- 1
Set the oven to 400°F and wait for the indicator light or beep, about 10 minutes.
- 2
Cut each eggplant in half lengthwise, from stem end to bottom tip, so you have two boat-shaped halves per eggplant.
- 3
Scoop out the flesh from each eggplant half using a spoon, leaving a thin shell about 1/4 inch thick all around; chop the scooped flesh into 1/4-inch cubes.
- 4
Place the eggplant halves skin-side up on a rimmed baking sheet and roast until the skins begin to soften and look slightly shriveled, about 12 minutes.
- 5
While eggplants roast, cut the onion in half, then place flat-side down and dice crosswise into 1/4-inch cubes to get about 1 cup.
- 6
Mince the garlic until the pieces are smaller than a grain of rice — about pencil-tip sized dots.
- 7
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers and slides quickly when you tilt the pan, about 90 seconds.
- 8
Add the diced onion and cook, stirring once every 30 seconds, until the edges turn translucent and the pan releases a sharp smell, about 3 minutes.
- 9
Push the onion to the side of the skillet and add the ground lamb to the empty space; cook over medium-high heat, breaking it up with a wooden spoon every 20 seconds, until no pink remains and the meat looks crumbly, about 4 minutes.
- 10
Add the minced garlic to the lamb mixture and stir constantly for 30 seconds until the aroma becomes sharp and fragrant.
- 11
Stir in 2 tablespoons of tomato paste and 0.5 teaspoon of dried oregano, then cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute until the paste darkens and sticks slightly to the pan.
- 12
Add the chopped eggplant flesh and 2 tablespoons of water to the skillet; stir well and cook over medium heat, stirring once every minute, until the eggplant softens and the liquid mostly evaporates, about 5 minutes.
- 13
Remove the skillet from heat and taste the lamb mixture; add a pinch of salt and pepper if needed.
- 14
In a small saucepan, melt 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter over medium heat, swirling the pan occasionally, until the butter is foamy and fully liquid, about 2 minutes.
- 15
Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour over the melted butter and whisk constantly for 1 minute until the mixture looks like wet sand with no lumps.
- 16
Slowly pour 1.5 cups of whole milk into the flour mixture while whisking continuously to prevent lumps; keep whisking until the sauce is smooth.
- 17
Continue cooking the sauce over medium heat, stirring with a wooden spoon once every 30 seconds, until it thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon and no longer looks watery, about 4 minutes.
- 18
Remove the sauce from heat and stir in 0.125 teaspoon of freshly grated nutmeg and 0.25 cup of grated Pecorino Romano cheese; taste and add a pinch of salt if needed.
- 19
Remove the eggplant halves from the oven and let them cool for 2 minutes until comfortable to touch.
- 20
Using a spoon, divide the lamb filling evenly among the four eggplant halves, mounding it slightly in the center of each.
- 21
Slowly pour the béchamel sauce over the lamb filling on each eggplant half, dividing it evenly so the sauce covers the filling and runs slightly down the sides.
- 22
Sprinkle the remaining 0.25 cup of grated Pecorino Romano cheese evenly over the béchamel on all four eggplant halves.
- 23
Place the baking sheet in the 400°F oven and bake until the cheese turns deep golden brown and the sauce bubbles at the edges, about 15 minutes.
- 24
Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the papoutsakia rest for 3 minutes before serving to allow the filling to set slightly.
Tools you’ll need
- 12-inch skillet
- small saucepan
- rimmed baking sheet
- wooden spoon
- rubber spatula
- whisk
- spoon for scooping
- cutting board
- chef's knife
- Microplane or box grater
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