Moussaka

[Alberta56]

A few days ago I made a moussaka, using a recipe from Lesley Blanch's 'Around the World in100 Dishes'. Lesley lived in the Middle east for a time, so it ought to be pretty authentic. But I do wish Davey were here to tell us how he does it. This recipe uses flour, eggs and natural yoghourt for the topping. I wonder how other people do it. My recipe goes back to the 1960ies when I got married and acquired my first proper cooker, rather than the Baby Bellings of my bedsit days. Gosh- 4 gas rings and an oven. It also had a grill which I was too scared to use. It seemed too easy to burn the food on the outside while the inside was raw. Made me wonder how cavemen got on with only an open fire to cook on. 🐘🐘🐂🐃😋

[sassy59]

I like moussaka but have never made it. I’m sure Davey would have a good recipe. Hoping yours was tasty. Xxx❤️

[Alberta56 in reply to sassy59]

Mine is very tasty, though the family rather take it for granted nowadays. Wish Davey would surface. xxxx

[CDPO16]

I used to make moussaka with a bechamel sauce Alberta, never added egg or flour or yoghurt.I have no idea if it was the correct way to make it but it tasted OK.

[Alberta56 in reply to CDPO16]

I have a Good Housekeeping recipe with a cheesy bechamel sauce on top, but I prefer the yogurty one because it's easier to make. xxx

[CDPO16 in reply to Alberta56]

I don't cook much now Alberta otherwise I might try it with yoghurt.

[peege]

mmmm sounds 😋 yummy, did it taste Iike an authentic Greek moussaka ? I'd often wondered how they got the custardy consistency topping on it when eating it on Greek islands, now I know!

[LizPat30]

We lived in Crete for 10 years and for our moussaka topping we added an egg to the bechamel sauce. Lovely and golden topping. Jo xx

[Alberta56 in reply to LizPat30]

Sounds good. 😋

[Gardeningdays]

I use a Cypriot recipe these days and do add egg to a bechamel sauce

[eleanordigby]

Never been to Greece but love a moussaka. Love aubergine parmigiana too. We should do a recipe swap of some budget recipes. So, not moussaka then 😆

Who is Davey? Unusual name for a Greek man!

[Alberta56 in reply to eleanordigby]

Aubergine parmigiana sounds delicious. Davey was until quite recently a member of this forum, an Englishman living in Greece. He used to post pictures of the food he was cooking to make us all drool. xxxx

[eleanordigby in reply to Alberta56]

wish he’d come back then, I’d love some new recipes but they have to be easy prep, I can’t stand for long. I hate those ones with a list of ingredients as long as your arm! I have some recipes I’ve been cooking for ages, mainly from the days when we were poor so they’re very handy now, but I’m bored with them!

[Alberta56 in reply to eleanordigby]

I'm in much the same position. Can't cook anything that takes ages to prepare, but try to minimise the amount of junk food we eat. Further complicated by my husband's craving for meat, which clashes with my wish to eat much less of it. Amazing how he fails to notice lack of meat in some dishes. xxx

[Mavary]

I love that kind of food. It’s what I call tasty food.

[teenieleek]

I used to make moussaka but all the frying put me off. Fried aubergine, fried potatoes, fried onions for the tomato sauce then all topped with bechamel sauce. 1000 calories per portion! I exaggerate but couldn’t be far off.

I now do aubergine parmigiana instead.

[Alberta56 in reply to teenieleek]

I don't put potatoes in. Much better for my husband's waistline .😁😁😁

[teenieleek]

Yeah, but the potatoes taste good!!

[peege]

I realise it's a while ago but I do love this old moussaka thread Chris. Re-reading it this morning (I'm procrastinating as per normal in getting arse in gear to take the dog out).

In 70s husband & pregnant I moved to Libya. I packed my Cordon Bleu cookbook & Sheila Kitzinger book on natural childbirth, let down my mini dresses & rang the foreign office for advice on having a baby in Libya....... I digress, food shopping was interesting, always seasonal Mediterranean vegetables available, free range eggs was a trip to an out of town oasis farm where I'd get a cardboard tray of them meat was a mad dash to wherever the grapevine let us know which shops sold a recent shipment of beef or lamb (never pork obvs). Camel meat & unplucked head on chickens usually available. Beef or lamb was a dinar (approx £1) for any part of it from testicles to fillet. We often bought half a lamb, jointed it ourselves or fillet of beef. I'd found a mincer in a souk so minced the beef & lamb for bolognaise, lasagne, meatballs, shepherd’s pie and of course moussaka. I think potatoes were used to please the old fashioned British palate though as aubergines were more plentiful I used them. Delish, my children ate well in their formative years, have continued to & now feed their children plenty of veg n salad. Memories 😃 ××

[Alberta56 in reply to peege]

You're making me feel hungry.😋😋😋