Mousakkas (Cypriot Moussaka) is a traditional Cypriot recipe for a classic baked layered dish of potatoes, aubergines (eggplants) and courgettes (zucchini) with a white sauce topping and a meat sauce filling. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Cypriot version of: Cypriot Moussaka (Mousakkas).
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Ingredients:
For the Vegetables:
1kg potatoes
60g cheese, grated
500g aubergines
500g small marrows or courgettes (zucchini)
For the White Sauce:
720ml milk (needs to be hot)
4 tbsp oil
4 tbsp plain flour
4 egg yolks
65g cheese, grated
1/4 tsp freshly-grated nutmeg
salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
For the Meat Sauce:
1 tbsp onion, finely chopped
1kg minced meat
2 tbsp parsley, finely shredded
100g ripe tomatoes, finely chopped
1 tsp tomato purée
120ml corn oil
120ml dry white wine
salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
Method:
Begin with the meat sauce. Heat the oil in a frying pan, add the onions and cook for about 3 minutes, or until soft but not coloured. Add the wine and boil for 2 minutes then add the parsley and chopped tomatoes. Dissolve the tomato purée in 250ml hot water then pour into a pan. Bring back to a boil, reduce to a gentle simmer and cook for a further 30 minutes. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
For the white sauce: Heat the oil in a small pan. Scatter over the flour and stir to make a smooth roux, stirring constantly. Beat in the hot milk and continue cooking, beating all the while, until the mixture thickens. When the sauce is quite thick, take off the heat and beat in the egg yolks and the cheese. Once the cheese has melted beat in the nutmeg, salt and black pepper. Set aside.
To assemble the mousakkas: Peel the potatoes, aubergines and marrows then cut into long, thick, slices. Heat the oil in a pan and when very hot add the vegetables (in batches) and fry until lightly brown. Grease an oven-proof dish and line the base with a layer of potatoes. Sprinkle these with cheese and nutmeg. Add a lager of aubergines, some more cheese and then a layer of marrows. Cover these layers with a thick covering of meat sauce, then repeat the layering with the marrows, potatoes and aubergines. Pour over the white sauce then sprinkle over grated cheese and transfer to an oven pre-heated to 180°C and bake for about 30 minutes, or until piping hot and nicely browned on top.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool then cut into square serving pieces. This dish can be served either hot or cold and it can be served as a starer as well as a main course.
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