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FEATURED RECIPE
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Eggplant Meat and Bechamel Casserole [Moussakas]
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Serves 8-10
Preparation time 2 hours
Cooking time 35-40 minutes
Ingredients
5 lbs eggplant [aubergines]
1/3 cup olive oil
1 large onion, grated
2 garlic cloves, sliced
1 1/2 lbs ground lean meat [beef or veal]
3 cups pureed fresh or canned tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 egg whites, lightly beaten
1/2 cup finely chopped parsley
6 tablespoons fine bread crumbs
3 cups thick Bechamel [recipe follows]
1/2 cup heavy cream
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup grated Kefalotiri or Romano cheese
salt and pepper
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Wash and trim the eggplant. Slice into 1/2 inch thick rounds. Sprinkle generously with salt and leave them to drain in a colander for 2 hours. Rince, squeeze gently, and pat them dry with paper towels. Fry in hot oil until lightly browned on both sides. Drain and set aside. Heat the oil in a heavy saucepan and saute the onion, and garlic until transparent. Add the meat and stir for 10 minutes until it begins to brown. Pour in the tomatoes, add the sugar, and season to taste. Simmer uncovered, until all the liquid evaporates. Allow to cool, and mix in the lightly-beaten egg whites and the chopped parsley. Arrange half the eggplant slices in a layer on the bottom of a 12x14 inch buttered ovenproof dish, sprinkled with 2 tablespoons bread crumbs. Cover with the remaining eggplant, spread over the reserved meat sauce, and sprinkle top with the rest of the grated cheese and bread crumbs. At this stage you may cover well and freeze the dish. When ready to bake, let it thaw out first. Prepare 3 cups thick Bechamel sauce, stir in the cream, and eggs. Pour the sauce over moussaka and bake in 400°F oven, for about 45 minutes. Let moussaka stand for 15 minutes before serving. Serve with village Greek salad.
Enjoy!
Alternate: Replace half or all the eggplants with sliced potatoes, or substitute zucchini for the eggplant. A combination of eggplant, zucchini, and potatoes can be used also.
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Bechamel [White Sauce]
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Yields 1 cup of thick sauce
Preparation time 5 minutes
Cooking time 15 minutes
Ingredients
1 cup milk
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons butter
salt and white pepper
a pinch of nutmeg
Heat the milk in a small pot. In a heavy saucepan melt the butter. Stir in the flour and saute 2-3 minutes. Pour in the hit milk, stirring constantly with a French wire whisk to blend the mixture smoothly. To remove lumbs, if any exist, place a sieve over another pan, and strain the sauce through. Return the strained sauce to the heat and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring with the whisk to prevent the sauce from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Remove from the heat. Season with salt, white pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg.
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