Moussaka recipe?!
Moussaka recipe?
I am looking for a recipe for moussaka. I know it contains mince and brinjals. Please, can anyone help me?
Answers:
Excellent choice! Can I have some!? ; )
Ingredients
75ml/6fl oz olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
675g/1?lb lamb mince
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1.25ml/?tsp cinnamon
1.25ml/?tsp allspice
2 x 400g/14oz tin of chopped tomatoes
1 tbsp fresh oregano, chopped
2 bay leaves
1 tsp fresh, soft thyme leaves
175ml/6fl oz white wine
4 medium aubergines, cut into 1cm/?in slices
salt and freshly ground black pepper
plain flour, for dusting
For the Béchamel Topping:
85g/3oz unsalted butter
85g/3oz plain flour
900ml/1?pt milk
85g/3oz parmesan, grated
115g/4oz gruyère, grated
2 egg yolks
1 egg
Method
1. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large casserole dish. Add the onion and cook gently for 10 minutes or until the onion is soft, but not coloured. Brown half the lamb in a frying pan and add to the onion. Add the garlic and break up the meat with a wooden fork until it has a loose texture. Brown the remaining lamb.
2. Stir the cinnamon, allspice, chopped tomatoes, oregano, bay leaves and thyme into the casserole. Add the rest of the browned lamb and de-glaze the pan with white wine. Pour straight into the casserole dish, reduce the heat and simmer for approximately 1 hour.
3. Place the aubergines in a colander, sprinkle with salt and leave for 30
minutes. This draws out any bitter juices.
4. Meanwhile make the bé chamel sauce. Melt the butter in a non-stick pan and stir in the flour. Take off the heat and gradually stir in the milk. Return the pan to the heat and stir continuously until the sauce thickens. Simmer over a gentle heat for 5-8 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in 55g/2oz of the parmesan and 55g/2oz of the gruyère cheese and season with salt and pepper.
5. Rinse the aubergines and pat dry. Dust the aubergines with flour and fry in batches in the remaining olive oil until golden on both sides, about 8 - 10 minutes. Drain on kitchen paper. Set aside until ready to construct the moussaka.
6. The white sauce should now have cooled enough to whisk in the egg and egg yolks.
7. Cover the base of an ovenproof dish (30 x 20cm/12 x 8in) with a third of the mince then cover with half the aubergine slices. Repeat the layers, ending in the last of the mince, then pour over the cheese sauce. Sprinkle over the remaining parmesan and gruyère. Bake in a preheated oven at 180C/350F/Gas4 for 50-60 minutes, until bubbling and golden. Allow the moussaka to settle for 5 minutes before cutting into squares and serving.
8. Serve the moussaka with a chunky tomato, cucumber, parsley and mint
salad and crusty bread.
This dish can be prepared in advance until the point before it goes in the oven. Allow an extra 15 minutes in the oven if cooking from cold.
Enjoy!
sorry don't know what brinjals are but go to deliaonline.co.uk
This is my own recipe - I hope you like it.
Cut two aubergines into slices the thickness of a pound coin, brush them with olive oil and put them in a preheated oven at 180c for about 15 mins.
For the meat you will need
1 1/2 to 2 lbs minced lamb
1 large onion finely chopped
3 cloves garlic chopped
Large pinch dried oregano
Pinch cinnamon
Pinch chilli flakes
1 tin tomatoes
1 tbsp tomato puree
1 glass red wine
250mls stock
First fry the meat in a frying pan in a little olive oil over a high heat to brown it. Remove it from the pan and put it in a sieve ( this is important as moussaka can be fatty ). Pour any fat away and deglaze the pan with the red wine.
In a casserole fry the onion gently until soft. Add the garlic, oregano, cinnamon and chilli and fry for a furthur couple of mins. Add the lamb and the tomatoes to the pan along with the red wine from the frying pan, the stock and the tomato puree. Bring to a simmer then leave to cook for 60-90 mins, after this time the sauce should be thick. Season with salt, pepper and a pinch of sugar.
Make a white sauce ( the usual way ) using 1 pint of milk. When it is finished remove from the heat and add a big handful of parmesan.
You will also need 2-3 large potatoes parboilied and sliced as thick as a pound coin.
To layer the dish start with half the aubergine, then half the meat sauce, then all the potatoes, the rest of the meat sauce, then the rest of the aubergine. Season as you go.
Pour over the cheese sauce and bake in a 180c oven for 45 mins or until golden brown and bubbling. Serves 4.
Nice with a salad of green beans, tomatoes and red onion or a Greek salad.
Moussaka Recipe
* 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 beatenCut 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.
There are great recipes on this site for moussaka and people give their own opinions and tips too.I hope it helps.
http://www.recipezaar.com/recipes.php?q=...
Happy cooking.x