Moussaka

If I was on Hell's Kitchen and cooking Ramsay my signature dish - it would be this - Classic Moussaka - I've literally made 400+ Moussaka’s in my day - working as prep chef in a Greek resty, I had to make 10 each day, so safe to say, I've nailed this recipe. Twisted into my own version, if you follow the technique and ingredients accurately, you'll have a masterpiece, which in turn should lead to some heavy making out with your girl after you've had supper.

Serves: 6

Ingredients

2 Large zucchini's - sliced 1/2" thick

1 Large baking potato - thinly sliced - 1/4" thick

1 Large eggplant - sliced 1/2" thick

2 Large, juicy yellow onions, diced up

2 Lbs ground pork ( ground lamb if you're rich )

1 Can tomato paste

3-4 tbsp of Cinnamon

1 tbsp poultry seasoning

1 tsp of fresh ground nutmeg

1/3 cup of fresh, chopped thyme

1 cup salted butter

1 1/2 cups of standard white flour

1 tbsp of kosher salt

1 Litre milk - chef's choice what % - ( 2% is recommended )

Preparation

Part I - Body

• Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees
• In 2 9x9 inch glass dish - first layer it with the raw potato, then zucchini, and eggplant. At this point you will have 3 layers of veg - thus why the importance of a deep dish.
• Meanwhile, in a large skillet, sauté off onions until soft, add the ground meat, a generous sprinkling of salt and pepper and start browning it off.
• Once it’s been browning for a bit, add the spices and fresh herbs, mix together - after mixture is nicely coated, add the tomato paste and combine.
• The mixture only needs to cook for about 10 minutes - does not matter if the meat is not cooked thoroughly - as it is going to cook once in the oven.
• Take the mixture and transfer it to your food processor - blitz it for a few seconds - it will start to puree up a bit, don't go overboard - almost to a taco bell or cat food consistency - sounds weird, but trust me.
• Transfer the mixture on top of the veg you've already layered, and spread it out evenly - I use a potato masher and mash it all down evenly to ensure it is all level and enough room for the béchamel to pour on top - essentially you would leave about an inch worth of space from the top for the béchamel.

Part II - Béchamel

• In a large soup pot - melt your butter - ensure it does not go brown - keep an eye on it
• Once melted, slowly add the flour and stir aggressively to create your roux - will have the consistency of dough.
• slowly add your milk - can have it warm - chefs choice - and whisk intensely - you don't want it to stick or burn, add salt to taste and the nutmeg
• Whisk until consistency is a thick yogurt - will thicken up instantly once the milk is almost boiling.
• Should taste buttery and salty with a hint of nutmeg.

Part III - Finalizing

• Pour your béchamel over the meat in the middle and it should level out with a gentle shake of the pan and reach the brim of the glass pan.
• Bake in the oven for about an hour - until the top of the béchamel turns brown and looks nice and crusted.
• After cooked - remove from oven and let cool for a good 25 minutes to ensure it isn't runny.
• Garnish with a pinch of fresh nutmeg and some spring mix on the side.