Makaronia tou Fournou (Oven-baked Macaroni with Layers of Minced Meat)
Kypriaka Loucanika (Oven-baked Macaroni with Layers of Minced Meat) is a traditional Cypriot recipe for a classic dish of layers of meat and tomato sauce, cream sauce and macaroni with cheese that's baked until the layers are set before serving. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Cypriot version of: Oven-baked Macaroni with Layers of Minced Meat (Kypriaka Loucanika).
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Ingredients
For the Mince Meat Filling:
1 tbsp onions, finely chopped
1 tbsp parsley, finely chopped
150g ripe tomatoes, finely chopped
1 tsp tomato purée
750g minced meat (typically a mix of beef and pork)
120ml dry white wine
120ml corn oil
salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
For the Cream Sauce:
1.25l fresh milk
3 tbsp plain flour
3 tbsp butter
4 egg yolks
50g cheese, grated
1/4 tsp freshly-grated nutmeg
salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
For the Macaroni:
1kg thick macaroni
100g cheese, grated
1 tbsp salt
2 tbsp oil
1/4 tsp dried mint, crumbled
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp freshly-ground black pepper
Method:
Begin by preparing the meat mixture: Heat the oil in a frying pan and add the onions. Stir in the meat and cook, stirring frequently, until nicely browned all over. Pour in the wine and bring to a boil then add the parsley, tomatoes, tomato purée and season to taste.
Stir to combine then reduce the heat and simmer the mixture for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. In the meantime, prepare the cream sauce.
Pour the milk into a pan and bring just to a boil. In a separate pan, heat the butter until it melts then scatter over the flour and stir to form a smooth roux. Whisk in the hot milk, adding it in a slow, steady, stream. Continue beating until the mixture is thick then cook gently until thickened to the consistency of double cream. Take the pan off the heat then beat in the egg yolks, followed by the cheese, nutmeg and seasonings. Continue beating until the cheese has melted then set aside.
For the macaroni, bring a pan of water to a boil. Add the salt and oil then pour in the macaroni. Cook for about 8 minutes, stirring two or three times during this period, or until the macaroni is just tender. Drain in a colander then turn into a large bowl and stir in the mint, cinnamon and black pepper. Add about 3 tbsp of the cream sauce and stir to combine.
Liberally grease a baking dish with butter then add a thick layer of macaroni to the base. Sprinkle over the grated cheese then pour in half the cream mix. Add the meat mix then sit the remaining macaroni on top. Finally pour over the remaining cream mix then top with the grated cheese.
Transfer to an oven pre-heated to 230°C and bake for about 10 minutes, or until the ingredients are piping hot and the top is golden brown.
Remove the baking dish from the oven and set aside to cool. Cut into squares and serve either hot or cold.
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