Houston Style Greek Moussaka
- 4 russet potatoes
- 1 lb minced meat, lamb or 1 lb beef
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 16 ounces tinned tomatoes or 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 cup grated cheese, cheddar, parmesan or 1 cup kefalotiri
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 tablespoon parsley, finely chopped
- oil (for frying)
- salt, pepper
- 8 tablespoons dried breadcrumbs
- bechamel sauce
- 14 cup butter
- 4 tablespoons plain flour
- 5 cups milk (warmed, but not boiling)
- 2 egg yolks
- salt, pepper
- 12 cup grated cheese, cheddar, parmesan or 12 cup kefalotiri
- Peel the potatoes, wash well and slice into 1/4 inch round slices.
- Fry the potatoes both sides.
- Remove from pan and place on absorbent paper to soak up any excess oil.
- Melt the butter in a saucepan and saute the chopped onion, fry the ground meat (lamb or beef) until browned.
- Add the finely chopped tomatoes (or paste), salt, pepper and parsley.
- Cover and simmer until most of the juices are dried up.
- Remove from the heat and add 1/3 of the cheese and 3-4 tablespoons of the french toast or breadcrumbs.
- In a greased baking tray, sprinkle about 2 tablespoons of the french toast on the bottom of the tray.
- Place half the potatoes in a layer on the bottom of the baking tray.
- Sprinkle 1/3 of the grated cheese over the potatoes.
- Pour all the mince meat sauce over the potatoes and spread evenly.
- Finish with the rest of the potatoes in a layer over the meat sauce.
- To make the bechamel sauce.
- Melt the butter in a saucepan.
- Stir in the flour and mix over a gentle heat until it turns slightly yellow and starts to bubble.
- Remove from the heat and slowly add a little milk and mix in well.
- Gradually add the rest of the milk, stir over a gentle heat until the sauce boils and thickens.
- (You may need a hand whisk to use whilst the sauce is slowly thickening, to prevent the sauce going lumpy.
- ).
- If you get lots of lumps in the sauce, don't worry.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat.
- Use an electric mixer to beat the sauce for a couple of minutes and you will get rid of all the lumps.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Stir in the cheese.
- Leave it to cool for a few minutes, then stir the egg yolks through the sauce until completely mixed inches.
- Pour the bechamel sauce evenly over the potatoes.
- Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the sauce and then about 2 tablespoons of the ground french toast or breadcrumbs on top.
- Bake in a medium oven (350) for approximately 30-40 minutes, or until it reaches a nice golden colour.
- Remove from the oven and leave it to stand for 5-10 minutes to set before cutting into portions.
- Serve with fresh crusty bread and a crisp green salad.
potatoes, meat, butter, tomatoes, grated cheese, onion, parsley, oil, salt, breadcrumbs, bechamel sauce, butter, flour, milk, egg yolks, salt, grated cheese
Taken from www.food.com/recipe/houston-style-greek-moussaka-441438 (may not work)