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 down. Twisted into my own version, if you follow the technique and ingredients accurately,  you will have a masterpiece afterwards, which in turn should lead to some heavy making out with your girl after you've had supper...I guarantee it.

 

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.