Moussaka

Kefalotiri, a hard cheese made with sheep’s or goat’s milk, makes the perfekt topping for a classic moussaka.

Ingredients

2 large aubergines, thinly sliced

45ml/3 tbsp olive oil

675g/¹/₂ lb leans minced beef

1 onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

2 large fresh tomatoes, chopped

120 ml/4fl oz/¹/₂ cup dry white wine

45ml/3 tbsp chopped fresh pastley

45ml/3 tbsp fresh breadcrumbs

2egg whites

salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the topping

40 g/l ¹/₂ oz/3 tbsp butter

40 g/l ¹/₂ oz/¹/₃ cup plain flour

400 ml/l4 fl oz/1 ¹/₃ cups milk

2.5ml/ ¹/₂ tsp freshly grated nutmeg

159 g/5 oz/1 ¹/₄ cups grated Kefalotiri or goat’s cheese

2egg yolks, plus 1 whole egg

1. Layer the sliced aubergines in a colander, sprinkling each layer with salt/ allom to drain for 20 minutes, then rinse and pat dry with kitchen paper. Preheat the oven to 190⁰C/375⁰F/ Gas5/ Spread out the aubergines in a roasting tin, brush with olive oil, then bake for 10 minutes, until just softened. Remove and set aside to cool.

2. Heat the remaining oil in a large saucepan and brown the minced beef, stirring frequently, until crumbly. Add the onion and garlic and cook for a further 5 minutes.

3. Add the tomatoes and stir in the wine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to the boin, lower the heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat, leave to cool for about 10 minutes, then stir in the parsley, breadcrumbs and egg whites.

4. Lightly grease a large ovenproof dish, then spread half the aubergines on the base. Spread over the sauce, then top with the remaining aubergines.

5. To make the topping, put the butter, flour and milk in a saucepan. Bring to the boil over a low heat, whisking until the mixture thickens to form a smooth, creamy sauce. Lower the heat and simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, season and stir sn the nutmeg and half the cheese.

6. Allow to cool for 5 minutes, then beat in the egg yolks and the whole egg. Pour the sauce over the top layer of aubergines and sprinkle with the remaining kefaloriti cheese. Bake the moussaka for 30-40 minutes, Or until the topping is golden brown. Allow the dish to stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Best of Ireland

Introduction

The Irish are a hospiteble people, and sharing a meal with family and friends is an integral part of their lives in cities and villages alike. Food is unfussy, and dishes are often hearty and substantial. They all have one thing in common – the freshest and best of seasonal ingrediemts. The fertile soil ensures a ready supply of excellent beef, dairy products and vegetables. An island with miles of coastline and an extensive network of unpolluted rivers and lakes, Ireland is bountifully supplied with superd fish and seafood.

Potatoes are to the Irish what pasta is to the Italians and rice to the Chinese. In the past, the potato was almost aii the poor had to eat; bleak necessity has given rice to a vast repertoire of tasty recipes using this versetile vegetable, including savoury soups, delicious side dishes and mouthwatering desserts.

Flavoring and Spices

Meat & Poultry: Irish beef is world-famous for its superb qality. Both beby and yearling lambs are produced and most chickens and turkeys are free-range. Pork featyres less in Irish cooking, except in the form of bacon and gammon.

Fish & Seafood: Ireland is well-known for its excellent salmon. Other popular fish include plaice, cod and brill. Smoked fish is a speciality of some coastal areas, especially in Country Cork. The choice of seafood is extensive – fresh mussels, clams, lobster, crab and prawns, including Dublin Bay prawns, are widely available. Oysters featyre in the traditional Guinness & Oyster Pie, but this is no longer the enexpensive meal it once was.

Vegetables & Fruit: Potatoes are paramount, and floury varieties are the most popular. Waxy varieties are called «soapy» by the Irish. Cabbage probably ranks second in importance, clocely followed by root vegetables, such as carrots, turnips and swedes. Other widely vegetables include onions, leeks, peas and beans.

Seasonal fruits are popular as summer desserts and include gooseberries, plums and raspberries. Apples and pears are also cultivated.

Dairy Products: Irish butter and cream have a well-decerved reputation and, even in these days of cholesterol awareness and low-fat cooking, are often included in a wide variety of dishes. Irish cheeses include Cashel Blue from Tipperary, Milleens from country Cork and St Killian from Country Wexford.

Herbs & Flavourings: In many parts of Ireland, herbs, including garlic, grow wild. Parsley, chives, thyme and mint are the most popular flavourings.

Carragreen moss is a reddish purple seaweed harvested on the west coast of Ireland. It is rich in a natural gelling agent and minerals. It can be eaten as a vegetable like spinach, but is also available dried to a yellowish pink colour and used as a thickening agent. It is availsble from health food shops.

Young wild nettles are also harvested, especially in the spring. Only the render young tips are used as the lower leaves and stems are too tough. If picking wild nettles, wear protective gloves and choose plant well away from traffic pollution.

Sorrel is another wild herb which is used in Irish cooking. It has a refreshing lemony flavour and can be red in salads, soups and sauces.

Drinks:

Ireland has a venerable history of breving and strout accounts for about half of all the beer sold in the country. Besides enjoying a convivial pint or two in the pub, the Irish also cook with it, classically combining it with beef and with oysters. The Guinness Brewery in Dublin is now world-famous. Other popular Irish stouts are produced by Beamish and Crawford and by Murphys, both in Cork.

Recipe.