Lamb Stew with Eggplant Sauce

Ingredients:
For the Stew:

• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 tablespoons sunflower oil
• 2 pounds boned leg or neck fillet of lamb
• 1 pound tomatoes, peeled and chopped
• 1 teaspoon sugar, or to taste
• salt and black pepper

For the Eggplant Sauce:

• 3 pounds eggplants
• 3/4 sticks (6 tablespoons) butter
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 2 1/4 cups milk
• salt
• good pinch of nutmeg
• 1/2 cup grated cheese (guyere or a mature chedder)

How to Prepare:
For the stew, fry the onion in the oil until soft. Cut the meat into 1-inch cubes, add them to the pan, and cook, turning to brown lightly all over. Add the tomatoes, sugar, salt, and pepper. Cover with water and simmer, with the lid on, for 1 hour, until the meat is very tender, adding water if it becomes dry, but letting the sauce reduce at the end.

For the eggplant sauce, prick the eggplants with a pointed knife to prevent them from bursting in the oven. Place them on a large piece of foil on a baking sheet and roast them in a hot oven preheated to 475 F for about 45-55 minutes, or until they feel very soft when you press them and the skins are wrinkled. When cool enough to handle, peel and drop them into a strainer or colander with small holes. Press out as much of the water and juices as possible. Still in the colander, chop the flesh with a pointed knife, then mash it into a puree with a fork or wooden spoon, letting the juices escape through the holes.

Make a bechamel sauce by melting the butter in a saucepan, add the flour, and stir over low heat for about 2 minutes, until it is well blended. Take the pan off the heat and add the milk gradually, beating vigorously all the time to avoid lumps forming. Add salt and nutmeg, and cook over low heat, stirring constantly for about 15 minutes, until the sauce thickens.

Off the heat, mix the eggplant puree into the bechamel sauce, then return to the heat, beating vigorously until it is well blended. Add the grated cheese and stir until it has melted. Add a little salt if necessary.

Serve the stew meat in a wide shallow dish with the eggplant sauce in a circle around it.