What is MOSAKA?!


Question:

What is MOSAKA?


Answers:
MOUSSAKA

Although "moussaka" is an Arabic word and a popular dish in many Middle Eastern countries, the immortal eggplant and lamb casserole is generally credited to the Greeks, who claim it as a national treasure.

1 lg. eggplant (about 2 lb.)
2 tbsp. butter
1 1/2 lb. ground lamb or beef
1 med. onion, chopped
1 can (15 oz.) tomato sauce
3/4 c. red wine or beef broth
1 tbsp. snipped parsley
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
White sauce (below)
1 c. grated Parmesan cheese
2/3 c. dry bread crumbs
1 egg, beaten
Tomato Sauce (below)

Cut unpared eggplant crosswise into 1/2-inch slices. Cook slices in small amount boiling water until tender, 5 to 8 minutes; drain. Heat butter in 12-inch skillet until melted. Cook and stir lamb and onion until lamb is light brown; drain. Stir in tomato sauce, wine, parsley, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Cook uncovered over medium heat until half the liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Prepare White Sauce.
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Stir 2/3 cup of the cheese, 1/3 cup of the bread crumbs and the egg into meat mixture; remove from heat. Sprinkle remaining bread crumbs evenly in greased rectangular baking dish, 13 x 9 x 2-inches. Arrange half the eggplant slices in baking dish; cover with meat mixture. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the remaining cheese over meat mixture; top with remaining eggplant slices. Pour White Sauce over mixture; sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Bake uncovered 45 minutes. Prepare Tomato Sauce. Let moussaka stand 20 minutes before serving. Cut into squares; serve with Tomato Sauce. Makes 8 servings.


WHITE SAUCE:

1/4 c. butter
1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
2 c. milk
2 eggs, slightly beaten

Heat butter over low heat until melted. Blend in flour, salt and nutmeg. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until smooth and bubbly; remove from heat. Stir in milk. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute. Gradually stir at least 1/4 of the hot mixture into eggs. Blend into hot mixture in pan.

TOMATO SAUCE:

1 med. onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 tbsp. olive or vegetable oil
2 c. chopped ripe tomatoes
1/2 c. water
1 tsp. dried basil leaves
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 bay leaf
1 can (6 oz.) tomato paste

Cook and stir onion and garlic in oil in 3-quart saucepan over medium heat until onion is tender. Add remaining ingredients except tomato paste. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly; reduce heat. Simmer uncovered until thickened, about 30 minutes. Stir in tomato paste. (Add 2 to 3 tablespoons water if necessary for desired consistency.) Remove bay leaf.

I googled it--it said its Palm Nut Soup.

Here's a recipe I found on www.foodnetwork.com

Moussaka Recipe courtesy Eva Dukakis
Show: Calling All Cooks
Episode: Mousaka/Chicken Salad and Soup


8 long narrow eggplants (or 5 to 6 medium size)
Extra olive oil, for greasing pan and brushing eggplant
2 cups chopped onion
1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 pounds very lean ground beef or ground lamb (twice ground)
1/2 teaspoon salt
Pepper, to taste (ground fresh)
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons butter, plus 4 tablespoons, for topping
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
1/2 pound Parmesan or Romano cheese, freshly grated
12 to 14 Royal (or any brand) milk biscuits finely crushed or cracker meal
11 large eggs
1 cup milk
15 by 10-inch deep pan greased (with olive oil)
Jelly roll pan

Peel and slice eggplant into 1/4-inch slices lengthwise. Sprinkle with salt. Place in a colander to drain (about 30 minutes). Rinse and let dry between paper towels.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place eggplant onto well oiled jelly roll pans. Brush with olive oil. Bake 10 to 15 minutes until tender. Set aside. In a large skillet cook onions in 1/4 cup water, 3 tablespoons olive oil and 1/4 teaspoon salt until onions are clear. Remove and set aside. In same skillet brown meat. Add cooked onions, salt, pepper, nutmeg, cinnamon, sugar, tomato sauce and 2 tablespoons of butter.
Cook, stirring well. Reduce sauce until almost dry and set aside. In 15 by 10-inch greased pan sprinkle 1/2 of the cracker crumbs to cover the bottom (the rest will be used for the top). Place a layer of eggplant close together over cracker crumbs. Top with 1/3 of the grated cheese. Add 1/2 of the meat mixture. Spread evenly. Repeat once more and top with eggplant and cracker crumbs. Sprinkle the remaining Parmesan cheese. Beat 11 eggs and 1 cup of milk together well. Spoon entire mixture on top of mousaka wetting all crumbs and cheese. Drizzle top with 4 tablespoons melted butter. Bake in 350 degree oven for 50 to 60 minutes until golden brown on top and knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool and cut into diamonds or squares. Serve warm.
This recipe freezes well. Thaw and cut into pieces and heat through.

The recipes for this program, which were provided by contributors and guests who may not be professional chefs, have not been tested in the Food Network's kitchens. Therefore, the Food Network cannot attest to the accuracy of any of the recipes.

This recipe was provided by professional chefs and has been scaled down from a bulk recipe provided by a restaurant. The Food Network Kitchens chefs have not tested this recipe, in the proportions indicated, and therefore, we cannot make any representation as to the results.

Mosaka (Palm nut) soup

don't know

Moussaka is a Greek dish made with lamb and eggplant.

* 3 large eggplants
* 1/2 cup olive oil, plus additional for oiling the pan and the aluminum foil
* 1 medium onion, minced
* 2 garlic cloves, minced
* 1/2 pound ground lamb
* 1/2 cup sweet vermouth or port
* 2 tsp ground cinnamon
* 2 tsp salt, or to taste
* 1 tsp ground cumin
* 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
* 1-1/2 pounds baking potatoes, preferably russets, scrubbed
* 2 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten

PREPARATION:
Cut the eggplant in half, then score the cut side with a sharp paring knife without breaking the skin at the edges. Heat a large skillet over high heat.
Swirl in 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, then add two eggplant halves, cut side down. Sear for 1 minute without disturbing, then add 3 tablespoons water. Cover and reduce the heat to low. Steam the eggplant halves for 10 minutes. Set the halves aside to cool on a large platter and repeat with the remaining halves.

After the eggplant has cooled enough that you can handle it, scrape the pulp into a large bowl using a teaspoon, taking care not to break the skin. You should have 4 cups eggplant pulp. Reserve the skins, discarding any additional pulp.

Heat a large skillet or saute pan over medium heat. Swirl in the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, then add the onion and cook until soft and fragrant, about 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in the garlic. Cook for 30 seconds. Add the ground lamb and cook until lightly browned, about 2 minutes, stirring constantly.

Add the reserved 4 cups eggplant pulp and the sweet vermouth. Mix well with a wooden spoon, then stir in the cinnamon, salt, cumin, and pepper. Continue cooking until the eggplant gives off its liquid and begins to coat the pan with a fine film, about 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Set aside to cool for at least 30 minutes. (The eggplant filling can be made up to this point a day in advance; cover tightly when cooled and refrigerate, then allow to come back to room temperature before proceeding.)

Peel the potatoes and cut them in half. Beginning with the cut side, cut off thin slices, using a sharp knife or a sturdy vegetable peeler. (You don't want paper-thin slices; make them about the thickness of lasagna noodles.) Place the potato slices in a large bowl of water as you work.

Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Drain the potato slices and add them to the pot. Cook just until crisp, about 3 minutes. Drain -- be careful, for they are fragile -- and set aside.

Mix the eggs into the eggplant pulp mixture. Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Oil a 2-quart high-sided souffle dish with olive oil.

Place the eggplant skins in the souffle dish, skin side out, so that they meet and overlap on the bottom, then rise up along the insides of the dish. In other words, the eggplant skins should form a kind of "skin" around the moussaka as it bakes. Overlap them as necessary. If any tear, plug the hole with a small amount of the eggplant pulp mixture. Let the skins hang over the top of the souffle dish.

Lay one-fifth of the potato slices on top of the eggplant skins on the bottom of the dish. Top with 1 cup eggplant pulp mixture. Build three more layers, then top with a final layer of potato slices. Fold the eggplant skins over to seal the dish. If the skins don't meet, it doesn't matter.

Oil a 10-inch-long piece of foil. Place it, oiled side down, over the casserole and loosely seal it. Bake the moussaka for 1 hour 30 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then serve.




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