Papoutsakia (Aubergine slippers)

Ingredients:

1.5 kilos of aubergines, medium-sized and round
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 cup of olive oil
1/2 kilo of mince
salt, pepper
1/2 cup of dry white wine
parsley, finely chopped
thick white sauce (bechamel)
2 tablespoonfuls of grated cheese

Preparation:

Remove the stems of the aubergines and wash them well. Cut them in half lengthwise and nick the insides. Coat them with oil, put them in a greased baking tin and allow to bake in the oven until quite soft. Put the oil in a pan and heat. Add the onion and allow to soften, then add the mince, the salt,the pepper, the wine and the finely chopped parsley. Allow this mixture to cook on a low heat for 30 minutes. Spread the aubergines with this mixture and cover it with 1 tablespoonful of white sauce for each half aubergine. Finally, sprinkle with the grated cheese and bake for 30 minutes in a moderate oven. One cup of tomato juice and 4 tablespoonfuls of oil may be added to the baking tin if it is wished to create a sauce for the dish.

Variation 1: The aubergines can be fried instead of baked (before filling) if wished. In this case, there is no need to put oil in the tomato sauce.

Variation 2: You may add a thick piece of hard feta cheese on top, before putting it in the oven.

Some tips:

Easy to make recipe that uses little oil unless you decide to fry the aubergines (not a very hygenic idea).

Escort it with a fine tzatziki or a tyrokafteri.