Moussaka a great recipe for cooking this Greek dish

You are here: Hotel Quote | Customer Care | Sitemap

Bookmark This Page Print this page Social Networking

Holidays2Crete.com > Crete Guides > Greek Recipes

Greek Recipes

Bookmark this page on:

Add your email:

Stay informed on Crete deals direct to your inbox

Crete offers up some great recipes and meals taken from the many Taverna's dotted across the island of Crete, many of these Taverna's offer home cooked meals prepared for years with the recipes handed down through the generations from mother to daughter. Holidays To Crete has pulled together a select few of our favourites recipes for you to cook at home.

You will find the Cretan recipes have a good balance of ingredients, and although may seem fat laden in places work out to offer an excellent diet, and as almost all recipes are cooked in olive oil, it overs a great reduction in saturated fats you find in sunflower oils.

This recipe is broken down into description, ingredients and cooking method.

Greek Recipes

Mousakka

Mousakka or Moussaka is a firm favourite in Greek cooking and well known throughout the world, it can also come in vegetarian varieties by replacing the mince with Quorn mince.

Below is the recipe for cooking Mousakka.

75ml/6fl oz olive oil

1 large onion, finely chopped

675g/1½lb lamb mince

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1.25ml/¼tsp cinnamon

1.25ml/¼tsp 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/½in slices

salt and freshly ground black pepper

plain flour, for dusting

For the Béchamel Topping:

85g/3oz unsalted butter

85g/3oz plain flour

900ml/1½pt milk

85g/3oz parmesan, grated

115g/4oz gruyère, grated

2 egg yolks

1 egg

Ingredients

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.

Cooking Method

looking for...