Ruth Haffly wrote to Dave Drum <=-
CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS MESSAGE <<
the local Star 66 truck stop restaurant .... Spanakopita, gyros,
sometimes (rarely) moussaka. But never avgolemono.
We've got some down in Raleigh but usually don't go down there just for
a meal unless it's a special occaision. If we're down there, we'll get something, sometimes fast food, sometimes more upscale. Yesterday was Steve's birthday so we went to the local Texas Roadhouse. I also made a pumpkin roll; that's been his birthday cake ever since his mom gave me
the recipe in 1992.
This is my other favourite Greek speciality - especially when someone else
is making it. Bv)=
MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.06
Title: Moussaka - Part One
Categories: Lamb/mutton, Cheese, Potatoes, Casseroles, Sauces
Yield: 8 Servings
MMMMM-------------------------MEAT SAUCE------------------------------
2 lb Ground lamb (or beef)
2 tb Olive oil
1 Chopped onion
4 cl Garlic; chopped
1 ts Allspice
1 ts Cinnamon
1 ts Black pepper
1 tb Dried oregano
2 tb Tomato paste
1/2 c Red wine
Zest of a lemon
2 tb (or more) lemon juice
Salt
MMMMM--------------------------BECHAMEL-------------------------------
1/4 lb Unsalted butter
1/2 c Flour
1 ts Salt
4 c Whole milk
4 lg Egg yolks
1/2 ts Ground nutmeg
MMMMM--------------------------MOUSSAKA-------------------------------
3 lg Globe eggplants
1/2 c Salt
8 c Water
3 Yukon gold potatoes
1 c Grated mizithra cheese *
Olive oil
* A word on the cheese: All sorts of cheese can be used
here, and to be most authentic, use kefalotyri. We used
mizithra, which is becoming increasingly available in
supermarkets. No need to search the globe for these cheeses,
however, as a pecorino or any hard grating cheese will work
fine.
PREPARE THE MEAT SAUCE: Heat the olive oil in a large sauté
pan over medium-high heat and brown the ground meat. By the
way, the meat will brown best if you don't stir it. Add the
onions about halfway into the browning process. Sprinkle
salt over the meat and onions.
Once the meat is browned and the onions have softened, add
the garlic, allspice, cinnamon, black pepper, oregano and
tomato paste. Mix well and cook for 2-3 minutes.
Add the red wine and mix well. Bring the sauce to a simmer,
reduce the heat and continue to simmer gently, uncovered for
20 minutes. Turn off the heat. Taste for salt and add more
if needed. Add the lemon zest and the lemon juice. Mix well
and taste. If the sauce needs more acidity, add more lemon
juice.
Set the sauce aside.
PREPARE THE POTATOES AND EGGPLANTS: Mix the 1/2 cup salt
with the 8 cups of water in a large pot or container. This
will be the brine for the eggplants.
Slice the top and bottom off the eggplants. Cut thick strips
of the skin off the eggplants to give them a striped
appearance. A little skin on the eggplant is good for
texture, but leaving it all on makes the moussaka hard to
cut later, and can add bitterness, which you don't want.
(Some moussaka recipes leave the skin on and have you slice
the eggplants lengthwise, which is an option if you prefer.)
Slice the eggplant into 1/4" rounds and drop them into
the brine.
CONTINUED TO PART TWO
From:
http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/moussaka
Uncle Dirty Dave's Kitchen
MMMMM
MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.06
Title: Moussaka - Part Two
Categories: Lamb/mutton, Cheese, Potatoes, Casseroles, Sauces
Yield: 8 Servings
Continued from Part One
Let the eggplants sit in the brine 15-20 minutes, then
remove them to a series of paper towels to dry. Place a
paper towel down on the counter, layer some eggplant on it,
then cover with another sheet of paper towel and repeat.
As the eggplants are brining, peel and slice the potatoes
into 1/4" rounds. Boil them in salted water for 5-8
minutes - you want them undercooked, but no longer
crunchy. Drain and set aside.
To cook the eggplant, broil or grill the rounds. You could
also fry the eggplant rounds but they tend to absorb a lot
of oil that way. To grill the eggplant rounds, get a grill
very hot and close the lid. Paint one side of the eggplant
rounds with olive oil and grill 2-3 minutes. When they are
done on one side, paint the other side with oil and flip.
When the eggplants are nicely grilled, set aside. To broil,
line a broiling pan or roasting pan with aluminum foil.
Paint with olive oil. Place the eggplant rounds on the foil
and brush with olive oil. Broil for 3-4 minutes until
lightly browned on one side, then flip them over and broil
for a few minutes more. Set aside.
PREPARE THE BÉCHAMEL: Heat milk in a pot on medium heat
until steamy (about 160ºF/70ºC). Do not let simmer.
Heat the butter in a small pot over medium heat. When the
butter has completely melted, slowly whisk in the flour. Let
this roux simmer over medium-low heat for a few minutes. Do
not let it get too dark.
Little by little, pour in the steamy milk, stirring
constantly. It will set up and thicken dramatically at
first, but keep adding milk and stirring, the sauce will
loosen. Return the heat to medium. Add about a teaspoon of
salt and the nutmeg. Stir well.
Put the egg yolks in a bowl and whisk to combine. Temper the
eggs so they don't scramble when you put them into the
sauce. Using two hands, one with a whisk, the other with a
ladle, slowly pour in a couple ladle's worth of the hot
béchamel into the eggs, whisking all the time. Slowly pour
the egg mixture back into the béchamel while whisking the
mixture. Keep the sauce on very low heat, do not let simmer
or boil.
FINISH THE MOUSSAKA: Preheat the oven to 350ºF/175ºC.
Layer a casserole with the potatoes, overlapping slightly.
Top the layer of potatoes with a layer of eggplant slices
(use just half of the slices).
Cover the eggplant slices with the meat sauce. Then layer
remaining eggplant slices on top of the meat.
Sprinkle half the cheese on top. Ladle the béchamel over
everything in an even layer. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese
on top.
Bake for 30-45 minutes, or until the top is nicely browned.
Let the moussaka cool for at least 15 minutes before serving.
Serves 8.
UDD Notes: You can use potatoes only and omit the
eggplant. Simply increase the amount of potatoes to the
equivalent of the deleted eggplant. Yukon Gold potatoes
are nicely colourful but not necessary. Any potato that
will work in a stew will work well here.
I hate to open a jug of wine just to make a moussaka. So,
I usually substitute a mix of half Welch's grape juice and
half red wine vinegar.
From:
http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/moussaka
Uncle Dirty Dave's Kitchen
MMMMM
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