Savory Stuffed Eggplants

Wash the tomatoes, quarter them, remove the seeds and finely dice the flesh.

Halve the eggplants lengthwise and carefully scoop out some of the flesh with a spoon, leaving a shell.

Heat some oil in a pan and fry the eggplant halves cut-side down for 2–3 minutes until golden brown, then remove and season with salt.

Sauté the onion and garlic in the frying oil, add the ground meat and cook for about 10 minutes until crumbly and lightly browned.

Season with salt, pepper, paprika, oregano and a pinch of cinnamon, deglaze with about 150 ml of water and stir in the tomato paste.

Fold in the diced tomatoes and simmer briefly until the mixture is slightly thickened.

Preheat the oven to 175 °C fan (200 °C conventional) and grate the Gouda.

For the béchamel, melt the butter, stir in the flour and cook briefly, then gradually add the milk while stirring and bring to a boil.

Season the béchamel with salt and nutmeg.

Place the eggplant halves in a baking dish, fill them with the meat mixture, pour the béchamel over them and sprinkle with Gouda.

Pour the broth into the baking dish and bake everything for 10–15 minutes until the cheese is golden and the eggplants are tender.