Subject: Moussaka
From: [email-masked] (Beth Allen)
Date: Thu, 22 May 1997 16:40:06 GMT
Newsgroups: rec.food.recipes

Moussaka

>From _Good Old Food_, edited by Irene Chalmers 
This is a very good cookbook that I have gotten some EXCELLENT recipes
from!  Everything I've made from this book has been a hit!  I've been
told that the Baklava I make is the best (too bad it's not my own
recipe!!)

Anyway, here it is:

1 1/2 pounds eggplant
1/4 cup salt
3 Tbsp butter
2 small onions, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 1/2 pounds ground lamb
28 ounce can whole tomatoes, drained, juice preserved
3 Tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 cup light cream
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Slice the eggplant lengthwise and spread the slices on paper towels.
Sprinkle with half the salt and let them drain for 10 to 15 minutes. Turn
the pieces over and repeat with the remaining salt.  Heat the butter in a
large pan over moderate heat.  Add the onions and garlic and cook until
they are softened and translucent, about 5 minutes.  Add the lamb and
continue to cook for about 10 minutes or until the meat is no longer pink. 
Chop the tomatoes coarsely and add them to the meat.  Stir in the tomato
paste, half the reserved tomato juice, the thyme, nutmeg and pepper.  Cook
over moderate heat for 5 minutes.  Check the seasoning and add more salt
and pepper if desired. 

Pat the eggplant slices dry with paper towels.  Heat 1/4 cup of the oil in
a large skillet, add a third of the eggplant slices and fry until golden
brown on both sides.  Remove them from the skillet with a slotted spoon
and drain on paper towels.  Fry the remaining batches of eggplant slices
in the same way.  Place alternate layers of meat and eggplant in an
ovenproof casserole, ending with a layer of eggplant.  Cover and bake in
the 350 degree oven for 40 minutes. 

Whisk together the eggs and the cream in a small bowl.  Stir in the
cheese.  Remove the lid from the casserole and pour the egg mixture over
the top of the moussaka.  Return it to the oven and cook for a further 15
minutes, uncovered, until the topping is puffed and golden. 

~~~

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