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Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius, fan forced.
Start with the beef ragu, by placing a large pot on medium heat with a tablespoon of olive oil.
Add in the brown onion with a big pinch of salt and sauté for 3 minutes.
Add in the garlic, all spice, cinnamon, clove and tomato paste and mix through for a minute.
Add in beef mince and break down with a wooden spoon and mix through for a minute until the mince is broken through.
Raise heat to high and pour in red wine and deglaze, scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon.
Once nearly all liquid is gone, add in canned whole tomatoes, breaking them down with your hand along with half the tomato can worth of water.
Add in thyme and bay leaves and bring to simmer.
Simmer for 40 - 45 minutes or until all liquid has gone. Salt to taste and remove thyme and bay leaf once cooked.
Slice the eggplants longways and then crisscross with a knife the flesh of the eggplant, cutting close to the skin, but not going through.
Drizzle olive oil and salt onto the flesh side and then place onto a lined baking tray flesh side down and pop into the oven for 30 - 35 minutes, or until the eggplant flesh is soft enough to press into.
Once eggplant is cooked, turn oven to 200 degrees Celsius grill & fan forced setting.
For the olive oil béchamel, pour in 50ml olive oil into a deep pot over high heat, whisk in flour and cook for a minute.
Add in your milk and then whisk until béchamel thickens. This will take about 3-5 minutes.
Turn off heat and whisk in egg yolk quickly to avoid scrambling.
Microplane in fresh nutmeg before seasoning with salt to taste.
To put the papoutsakia together, in the tray with eggplant, turn them over and using a fork squish into the eggplant flesh so it breaks down nice and smooth, being careful to keep the eggplant skin intact.
Spoon on the beef ragu into the eggplant boats before spooning over the thick béchamel.
Finish with finely grated kefalograviera all over the top and pop into the oven to grill for 10 minutes or until charred and caramelised on top.
Finish with a garnish of fresh parsley.
Melitzanes Papoutsakia is a classic Greek dish that translates to "little shoes" because of its shape. It originates from Greece and is a beloved example of traditional Greek home cooking.
The dish features aubergines (eggplants) halved and hollowed out, then stuffed with a tasty mixture primarily made of minced meat (usually beef or lamb), tomatoes, onions, garlic, and various herbs like oregano and parsley. This stuffing is rich, savoury, and aromatic, reflecting the Mediterranean flavours Greece is famous for.
The aubergine shells, filled with this meaty goodness, are topped with a creamy béchamel sauce, a silky, buttery white sauce made with milk, flour, butter (but in my case extra virgin olive oil) and often includes a touch of nutmeg for that warm flavour. Sometimes, a sprinkle of grated cheese like kefalotyri (kefalograviera like I have used is easier to source) or parmesan goes on top to create a golden, crispy crust once baked.
Melitzanes Papoutsakia perfectly balances tender, roasted aubergine with hearty meat filling and luscious béchamel, epitomising the comfort and flavour depth of Greek cuisine. It’s a dish that’s so warming and great in a cold snap and during winter, but also really easy to put together. Every time I see eggplants at a market I get excited and my mind goes straight to recreating this beautiful little shoes.