Suzy’s marvellous Moussaka

Never made it, always loved it – lets give it a go ( well Suzy gave it a go, I just ate it ! )

Moussaka is a wonderfully warming hearty meal originating from the Greek isles.  Plenty of flavour, plenty of vegetables and a cheesy topping to die for.  The dish consists of three basic components, the meat sauce, the vegatebles and the cheesy topping sauce.  Once again Sally and Graeme at Rumps had everything we needed including the cheese which I had never even heard of before !

The meat filling

• 300g lamb mince
• 100g pork mince
• 100g veal mince
• 1 brown onion finely chopped
• 6 cloves of garlic finely chopped
• Bottle of tomato passata
• 1/4 cup white wine
• Flat leaf parsley

1. Fry the onions and garlic until softened and starting to brown, remove and set aside.
2. Fry the meat mince and break up any lumps.  When thoroughly cooked, add onion garlic mix.
3. Add white wine and passata and stir to combine.
4. Add herbs, cinnamon and bay leaf to your desired liking.
5. Continue to cook for 30mins leaving a thick rich ragu like consistency.
6. When cooking is complete, stir in chopped parsley, taste and adjust seasoning as required.

The Cheesy topping

• 90g butter
• 1/3 cup plain flour
• 2 cups milk
• 2 eggs beaten
• Grated Kefalogravia cheese

1. Make a standard Roux sauce with the butter, flour and milk.
2. Add the cheese, as much as you like.
3. Allow the sauce to cool and then whisk in the egg mixture.
4. Return to the heat and cook till thickened.

The Vegetables

• 2 large eggplants
• 2 potatoes

1. Thinly slice the eggplant, salt and leave to sweat.
2. Thinly slice the peeled potato
3. Brush the vegetables with a little olive oil and grill until softened and coloured.
4. Remove from heat and set aside.

The Assembly