Ingredients

¼ cup fine cooking salt
3 large eggplant, sliced 1cm thick
4 large potoaotes sliced 1/2 cm thick
1 tablespoon olive oil
1.5kg beef mince
3 medium onions, diced
3 cloves garlic, crushed
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1.5 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground allspice
1.5 teaspoon dried oregano
salt and freshly ground black pepper
9 large tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1.5 cup beef or lamb stock
3 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
¼ cup olive oil, extra
60g butter
60g flour
1/2 litre milk
3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 egg yolks
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup grated Keftalotiri or parmesan cheese
½ cup fresh breadcrumbs

METHOD

Sprinkle salt all over eggplant slices in a colander; stand 30 minutes. Rinse and pat dry.

Meanwhile, heat half of the oil in large frying pan. Add beef and cook until browned. Drain mince reserving juices and fat.

Heat remaining oil in same pan and cook onion and garlic until softened and lightly browned. Add tomato paste, cinnamon, allspice, oregano and salt and pepper; cook stirring one minute. Return lamb to pan with tomatoes and stock; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, half covered 45 minutes or until sauce is very thick and tomatoes have softened completely. Remove from heat. Stir in parsley.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the extra olive oil in a large frying pan and pan-fry eggplant slices  and potato sliceas in batches, adding more oil as necessary until golden brown on each side; drain on absorbent paper. Pre-heat oven to 175°C (or 155°C fan-forced).I prefer to do this on the barbecue

Make enriched béchamel sauce by heating butter in medium saucepan until melted. Add flour and cook, stirring 1 minute. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly to make a smooth sauce; bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add nutmeg, egg yolks and salt and pepper.

Assemble moussaka in large 2.5 litre capacity baking dish by layering potato on the bottom  of the eggplant, then half of the mince. Repeat layering process, finishing with a layer of eggplant. Top with béchamel sauce and finally with combined cheese and breadcrumbs.

Bake in preheated oven 45 minutes or until top is golden brown and bubbling. Stand 5 minutes before serving in large rectangles with green salad or steamed vegetables.

This is our fave curry – discovered by Glasgow Katie in the unlikeliest of sources.

CURRY POWDER

This is a useful general spice mixture and enough for seasoning 600-900 ml (1 ½ pints, 2 ½ 3 ½ cups) sauce or a dish to yield 4-6 portions depending on the ingredients.

Place 1 cinnamon stick, 4 cloves, 4 green cardamoms, 2 tablespoons cumin seeds and 4 tablespoons coriander seed in a small saucepan. Roast the spices gently, shaking the pan frequently until they are just aromatic. Remove from the pan and cool, then grind to a powder in a spice grinder or pestle and mortar. Mix in 2 teaspoons ground fenugreek, ½ teaspoon ground turmeric and ½ teaspoon chilli powder.

LAMB CURRY

Mix 1 tablespoon freshly grated root ginger (or 1 teaspoon ground ginger), a pinch of saffron, 3 tablespoons of oil, a large pinch of cayenne, salt and pepper.

In this mixture, roll 1.5kg (3 ¼ lb) neck or shoulder of lamb cut up in pieces and leave to marinate for 1 hour. Peel and crush 3 large tomatoes. Brown the pieces of meat in a large saucepan containing 25 grams (1 oz, 2 tbsp) ghee/butter then remove from pan.

In the same fat, fry 4 large sliced onions until golden, then add the crushed tomatoes, the prepared curry powder (above), 3 finely chopped garlic cloves and bouquet garni. Leave to brown for 5 minutes. Peel and grate an acid apple, add to the pan
and stir for 2-3 minutes. Replace the meat in the pan, stir, add a small cup of coconut milk or semi-skimmed milk, cover and leave to finish cooking gently for about 40 minutes.
Adjust the seasoning.

Serve this curry very hot with boiled rice, cashew nuts, raisins, and pineapple and banana dice flavoured with lemon juice, all in separate dishes.
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(I’d be careful about the chilli powder and the cayenne – I prefer to use fresh hot birdseye chillies. We also don’t use the coconut milk – it still tastes good)

50g (2oz) butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 medium carrot, finely chopped
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
25g (loz) diced mushrooms (optional)
125g (4oz) pancetta or unsalted bacon, finely chopped
350g (12oz) minced beef, pork or veal, or a mixture
300ml (1/2pint) dry Red wine
Salt and pepper
4 tablespoons tomato paste
300ml (1/2 pint) meat stock –

Heat the butter and oil in a deep saucepan, add the vegetables and fry until they soften and brown lightly.

Add the pancetta and minced meat and fry until the meat changes colour. Moisten with wine, simmer until it evaporates, then add seasoning, tomato paste and a little stock.

Cook slowly, covered, stirring occasionally and gradually stirring in all the stock.
Serve with tagliatelle.

Ingredients

1 whole fresh chicken
olive oil
clove of garlic
vegetables
salt

Marinade

I/2 cup of orange juice
2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
crushed clove of garlic
herbs/spices

Gravy

Corn flour

Method

• Preheat oven to 200 degrees C
• Cut the chicken in half lengthways through the breast bone.
• Wash and pat dry with paper towel
• Put a splodge of olive oil in a baking dish and rub all over bottom (the baking dish you idiot!)
• Put the chicken, skin side up, at each end of the baking dish
• Chop clove of garlic and place in bottom of dish
• Baste with all of the marinade using a clean (unused) paint brush or pastry brush
• Sprinkle salt over the chicken
• Put vegetables in the dish

potatoes cut in half (leave the skin on)
whole carrots (leave the skin on)
pumpkin wedges (leave the skin on)
whole onion(leave the skin on)
whole eggplant(leave the skin on)
anything else

Put in oven and have a look after 50 minutes
To make gravy, if required, remove the chicken and vegetables from the
baking dish add 2 teaspoons of corn flour to about 1/8th cup of water,
mix with pan juices and heat on top of stove until it is thickened.

Why do you leave the skin on the vegetables?
Official Reason – they taste better and have more nutrition. Blokes reason –it’s easier.