This Evenings Meal - Moussaka

Why mess about with Aubergine Lasagna when you can enjoy the real thing?

Important: Place a bottle of Retsina (Greek Wine -odd taste) in the fridge at lunch time ready to drink with this meal later in the day/evening for that authentic Greek feel.

Moussaka
Prep time 30 minutes to 1 hour
Cooking time 30 minutes to 1 hour

Caution Very low carb - this could ruin my reputation :lol:


Ingredients
2 Aubergines
Olive oil
1 Onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
500g lean (best) minced lamb
1/2 Packet of Passata - could substitute fresh toms
Pinch of Cinnamon powder
Pinch of Cumin powder
1 Glass of Red wine
150ml Chicken stock
200ml White sauce
2 Eggs
Pinch of Nutmeg
180g Grated Cheese - Half Mozzarella, half Cheddar - Cheat Use 200g 'Grated Pizza Cheese' From Tesco :thumbup:
2 tbsp Fresh Mint, chopped
Salt
Freshly ground Black Pepper


Method
1. Preheat oven to Gas 5
2. Slice Aubergines and fry them on both sides in a large frying pan with a little olive oil. Drain on kitchen paper and place to one side.
3. Using the same pan add a little more olive oil and fry the onions and garlic for about 5 mins.
4. Turn up the heat an add the minced lamb and brown it off, then add the Passata a pinch of cumin and a pinch of cinnamon add the red wine and cook on the hob whilst stirring until well mixed, then add the chopped mint and slowly stir in the stock bit by bit.
4. Layer the Aubergines and lamb mix in an oven proof dish using several layers ending with a layer of Aubergines.
5. Combine the white sauce with the eggs, nutmeg and seasoning and spoon over the top of the mince and then scatter with the grated cheese until well covered.
6. Bake in the oven 20-25 minutes to colour the cheese and cook through.
7. Open the Retsina and serve with the Moussaka add a fresh salad if you wish.



8. Smash some cheap plates on the floor and dance to Zorba the Greek

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Thanks for the replies it was lovely, there is still a portion left in the fridge so I will have to decide whether or not I'll eat that for lunch today as well

Regarding the Aubergines we have never salted them, well we did when we first started cooking with them as they were quite bitter but now we just fry them lightly before cooking in a meal :thumbup:

You can slice them into disks as well as slicing them into strips running down the veg although it is not easy to keep then thin and even when slicing them this way, worth a try though just to see what you think

We first ate moussaka whilst on holiday in Lindos, Rhodes in 1983 and have eaten Moussaka fairly regularly ever since, its common in Greece to include layers of potatoes as well as the Aubergines which we used to do but since D-day we have left out the spuds.

My wife usually makes the white sauce Hana, I believe she uses
1oz flour *
1oz butter
1/2 pint of milk

I think she melts the butter then stirs in the flour and milk until smooth then cooks in the microwave for a few minutes (?) stirring occasionally.

My sauce chef is at work at the moment, I will check with her later though and amend as necessary :thumbup:

* If you are concerned about the carbs in 1oz of flour you could substitute soya flour I would imagine but remember this meal makes 4 to 6 portions so still a very low carb meal

noblehead said:

Lindos is the hottest place I've ever visited, when we got off the boat to climb up the hill to the town centre the heat was unbearable, felt so sorry for those poor donkeys taking tourists up to the top.

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The bar we used to frequent used to be on the small beach where the ferries came from Rhodes and there was a stone which stuck out of the sand and Kyriakos (Jack) the bar owner who introduced us to Moussaka would cover it with sand and we would bet which day tripper would run up and kick it - hope it wasnt you Nigel :lol:

We too used to feel sorry for the donkeys, do they still have them there? I had enough trouble walking up to the Acropolis and I was young fit and healthy then too :***: The view from the top was worth it though...