Stuffed eggplants with minced meat: the best recipe
Can the cognac be replaced or omitted from the recipe?
Ingredients · Servings 4 people
- 2 eggplant units
- 200g minced meat (beef)
- 2 onion units
- 2 tomato units
- 1 tbsp chopped dill and parsley
- 1 tbsp cognac
- 30g butter
- 100g grated Gruyère cheese
- 30g flour
- 30 cl milk
- olive oil
- nutmeg
- salt and pepper
Method · 15 min
- Cut the eggplants in half lengthwise and carefully scoop out the flesh by scraping with a spoon.
- Chop the onions and sauté them for 3 minutes in 2 tablespoons of oil. Add the ground meat, cook for 3 minutes, then add the eggplant flesh, crushed tomatoes, cognac, parsley, salt, and pepper. Cook for another 3 minutes.
- Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the flour, stir, and cook over low heat for 2 minutes. Pour in the hot milk and cook for another 4 minutes, stirring with a whisk. Sprinkle with half the Gruyère cheese, nutmeg, and salt.
- Spread half of the béchamel sauce in the eggplant shells, add the minced meat and finish with a layer of béchamel sauce, sprinkle with the remaining Gruyère cheese.
- Bake for 20 minutes in a preheated oven at 220°C. Garnish with dill.
Yes, the cognac can absolutely be omitted. If you wish to replace it, you can use a little white wine or port to enhance the filling. For an alcohol-free version, a squeeze of lemon juice will add a touch of acidity. The cognac, however, remains optional.
How to properly hollow out eggplants without piercing the skin?
After cutting the eggplants in half lengthwise, score the flesh in a crisscross pattern with a knife, without cutting through the skin. Then, carefully scoop out the flesh with a tablespoon, working your way up. Leave about 1 cm of flesh attached so the eggplants remain firm enough during cooking.
