I have been out for lunch with an old friend today, so I needed tonight’s recipe to be quick and easy. I had an aubergine left over from Tuesday and some ragu frozen in the freezer, so I decided to make Melitzanes yemistes, Greek for stuffed aubergines. Whenever I make ragu I make a big casserole full and freeze it in cartons. It is perfect for lasagna and for this dish and all the work is done in advance. Perfect! The ragu I make is a Delia Smith recipe. Here is a link to the Delia’s ragu from her website, if you want to make it.
http://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/cuisine/european/italian/an-authentic-ragu-bolognese.html
I am sure most of my readers will have their own favourite recipe for ragu, however, and any will be fine as long as the ragu has a thick consistency.
Yemistes (stuffed vegetables) are one of the most versatile of the Greek dishes and there are probably thousands of recipes for this dish, each household making their own variation. I remember Ya Ya serving up trays of yemistes when we stayed with her in Athens. She would stuff the familiar green peppers and tomatoes but also aubergines, courgettes, mushrooms and even potatoes. She did the latter because that was all my son Mark would eat. He still has an aversion to anything that tastes ‘green’. Ya Ya would watch over us to make sure we ate sufficient. Any leftovers were put in the fridge and would be served cold for supper. Never any waste. I think she used the threat of ‘eat it all or you will have it later’, literally. What a wonderful woman. I really miss her.
Anyway, this recipe is based on one from the island of Skiathos.
Melitzanes yemistes Serves 4
- 2 aubergines, trimmed
- 1/4 quantity of Delia’s ragu (or your own preferred ragu)
- 300 ml full fat Greek yogurt
- 2 eggs
- salt and pepper
- 2 oz (50g) cheddar cheese (or preferably kefalotiri if you can get it)
- Boil the trimmed aubergines, whole, in boiling salted water for about 8 minutes or until beginning to soften. Drain and cool. Cut in half and remove the seeds in the centre to make a well for the ragu. Make sure you leave about 1/2 inch of wall around the well or they will collapse when cooking.
- Mix the yogurt with the eggs to make a smooth sauce. Season with salt and pepper and add half the cheese. Pour this over the aubergines and sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.
- Put the aubergine halves in a ovenproof dish (or individual dishes if preferred). Fill each with the ragu so it makes a small pile.
- Bake in a preheated oven, 190 C?170C fan/gas 5, for about 30 minutes or until the topping is brown and bubbling and the aubergine is tender.
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