Helen Tzouganatos is a television presenter, passionate home cook and recipe developer, specialising in delicious gluten-free food made from scratch. Helen’s gluten-free journey started 12 years ago when she was diagnosed with coeliac disease. She began sharing her passion for simple gluten-free food in 2015 via her blog and today she hosts SBS television show Loving Gluten Free. Helen lives in Sydney with her husband, Spiro, and three children, Vasili, Sofia and Ruby.
Helen’s new cookbook, Easy Gluten Free, will show you how easy it is to cook delicious, gluten-free food for the whole family, every night of the week. Just try this recipe for moussaka, which Helen promises is the only one you’ll EVER need …
The Only Moussaka Recipe You Will Ever Need
Serves: 6–8
Moussaka is the national dish of my parents’ homeland, the quintessential Hellenic meal. For me moussaka must meet two strict criteria: it must not be too heavy or greasy, and it must be lamb in the bolognese, not beef! To keep my moussaka light I steam my potato slices instead of frying them; they soak up the rich bolognese beautifully and perfectly balance the crispy eggplant and velvety bechamel. It may sound like a big call, but after one bite you will immediately understand why this is the only moussaka recipe you will ever need. Kali Orexi!
Ingredients
2 large eggplants, finely sliced
sea salt flakes
extra-virgin olive oil, for pan-frying
2 large sebago potatoes (or another floury variety), peeled, finely sliced and steamed until cooked (see Tips)
grated kefalograviera cheese, to finish
Lamb Bolognese
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
500g lamb mince
2 tablespoons tomato paste
600g canned crushed tomatoes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon chopped rosemary leaves
1 cinnamon stick
generous pinch of grated nutmeg
sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper
Bechamel
100g butter
100g (3/4 cup) gluten-free plain flour
800ml full-cream milk
100g kefalograviera cheese, grated
pinch of ground cinnamon
1 egg, whisked
sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper
Method
For the lamb bolognese, heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat, add the onion and sauté for 2–3 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and sauté for another 30 seconds.
Add the mince in chunks and let it sear for a minute to form a crust, then break it up with a wooden spoon. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for another minute. Add the tomatoes, oregano, rosemary, cinnamon and nutmeg, and season with salt and pepper. Cover and simmer over low heat for 1 hour, then taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
While the bolognese is simmering, salt the eggplant slices. Drizzle olive oil into a frying pan set over medium–high heat and pan-fry the eggplant in batches until golden on both sides. Drain on paper towels.
To make the bechamel, melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat. Whisk in the flour to form a smooth paste and continue whisking for another 30 seconds to cook off the flour. While still whisking, slowly pour in the milk until a thick sauce is achieved. Add the cheese and cinnamon and stir until melted and smooth. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the egg. Season to taste.
Preheat the oven to 200°C (fan-forced).
To assemble the moussaka, oil a large 40 cm × 28 cm baking dish. Lay the eggplant on the base and top with the lamb bolognese. Arrange the potato slices over the lamb and cover with the bechamel. Grate a little kefalograveria over the top, then bake for 45 minutes or until golden. Remove from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Tips
The potato slices can be steamed in the microwave or in a steamer basket on the stovetop.
You can assemble your moussaka a day ahead and bake the next day, or freeze it uncooked for up to a month. You can cook it straight from the freezer – just add another 20 minutes or so to the baking time.
—Easy Gluten Free by Helen Tzouganatos (Pan Macmillan Australia) is out now.
Easy Gluten Free
100+ delicious gluten-free recipes the whole family will love
Discover how easy it is to cook delicious, gluten-free food for the whole family, every night of the week, with Helen Tzouganatos, host of the SBS Food series Loving Gluten Free.
Easy Gluten Free makes cooking for the family simple with more than 100 delicious recipes: enjoy favourites such as pizza, pasta and breads as well as soups, salads, hearty mains and desserts you won't believe are gluten free...
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