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Archy & Mehitabel’s Moussaka

June 25, 2019 by Carine Clary Leave a Comment

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAThe first moussaka named after the eponymous Don Marquis’ roach and alley cat duo. But more on roaches later…

As for moussaka I learned to love it after first having it at the Shreveport St. George’s Greek Orthodox church Easter fundraiser where I was also introduced to pastichio and ekmekkatafi.

Now back to roaches (the kind that crawl, not the kind you find in your ashtray).

Once upon a time a hungry girl went to a Greek restaurant for a carafe of retsina, a salad and a soul satisfying hunk of moussaka made as only a true Greek can. At least that was the plan.

It started out well. The day was sunny and crisp, the retsina cold, and the salad was a flawless mix of greens and grilled calamari. So far so good. Finally, the waiter arrived with a fragrant slab of moussaka which said girl, with her retsina stimulated appetite dove into. Did I mention that she was alone? Did I mention that because she was alone she was reading the paper and had removed her glasses? No? Well, she had removed her glasses, which is why the large brown oval shaped form which she saw in the moussaka appeared at first to be a toasted nut. She leaned in closer to determine what kind of a nut it was, but upon closer inspection the “nut” proved to have long feelers and crooked spiked legs.

In fact, the “nut” was a mature roach. Probably had a family in the walls somewhere nearby. Sadly, Daddy met his end. The hungry girl did not over react. She just waited for the waiter to return and catching sight of him executed a two fingered Cary Grant like beckoning motion. The waiter approached. The girl wordlessly pointed at the insect garnished casserole.

Waiter, “Hmm, that’s a big one.”

Girl, “Yeah.”

Waiter, “So, You want I should bring you another piece?”

Girl, “From the same pan?”

Waiter, “Just one pan today lady.”

Girl, “Check please.”

BTW – never got the check because the owner comped me.  But it had a happy ending. After retailing this story at the office, I was later gifted with a version of the recipe below in my inbox. It came from a Greek lady in accounting and tastes a lot like the ones from St. Georges in Shreveport. So all’s well that ends….without a roach.

As for the actual prep work on this dish it’s helpful if you think of it as analogous to an exercise in business school project management. It’s broken down into three parts plus the final assembly. Keep in mind that things flow more smoothly when you concentrate on one step at a time.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAFirst you make the meat sauce and if you can swing it, doing it the night or day before speeds your way. If you don’t have the pale sultana raisins the dark ones will do fine. And if you don’t worship the lamb (so to speak), you can substitute ground beef or a mix of ground beef and ground pork.

When precooking the eggplant and potatoes you want to remember that they should be undercooked. They’ll finish after they are in the casserole for the final cook. If, however, you get distracted and they go a little too long – don’t worry. Your sins will be well covered by the bechamel sauce on top.

This particular version of bechamel may render a little more sauce than you need, but remember, it’s always better to have more sauce rather than less since you want to avoid those bald spots on the top.  I include beaten egg whites in the mix because, a) otherwise they’re wasted, and b) they make the topping puff up nicely.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERASo here you have it. The slightly overwhelming, but not if you break it up into smaller parts, recipe for roach free moussaka (with a side of Orange Arugula Salad).

And last but not least I have to put in a plug for retsina wine. Most non Greeks have never tried it and that’s a mistake. It’s like a crisp Graves with a pine needle chaser. You’ll either like it or you won’t but at least try it – and  it’s perfect with moussaka.

 

Print
Moussaka
Author: Carine Clary
Cuisine: Greek
Serves: 4
 
Ingredients
  • For the meat sauce:
  • 1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained
  • ¼ cup sultanas
  • 4 T. olive oil
  • ½ lb. ground lamb (or ground chuck)
  • pinch cayenne
  • ¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
  • ½ tsp. ground cloves
  • ½ tsp. ground allspice
  • ½ tsp. oregano (or Greek seasoning)
  • Salt & pepper, to taste
  • 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
  • 1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
  • ½ cup red wine
  • 1 tsp. sugar
  • For the Vegetables:
  • 1 lb eggplant peeled & cut into ¼ inch thick slices
  • 1 1 lb russet potato peeled & cut into ¼ inch thick slices
  • For the Bechamel sauce:
  • 6 T. butter
  • ½ cup flour
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 1 bay leaf
  • nutmeg to taste
  • ½ cup plain full fat Greek yogurt (or sour cream)
  • 2 large eggs, separated
  • ½ cup grated Parmesan
Instructions
  1. For the meat sauce:
  2. Soak sultanas in hot water.
  3. Heat olive oil and fry lamb with spices till lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Remove the lamb with a slotted spoon to drain off the oil, but leave the remainder of the oil in the pan.
  4. In the same pot saute the garlic, onion, bell pepper till soft, about 10 minutes.
  5. Add the wine and cook till almost evaporated, about 15 minutes.
  6. Add tomatoes, sultanas, and drained lamb and simmer for about 20 minutes.
  7. For the vegetables:
  8. Slice eggplant, salt slices, let sit for a few minutes then use paper towel to blot up condensation.
  9. Place on a lightly oiled cookie sheet, oil the tops, cover with foil and put in a 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes or until somewhat soft.
  10. Soak sliced potatoes in water for 5 minutes. Drain water and boil until tender.
  11. For the bechamel sauce:
  12. Melt the butter and stir in the flour. Let it cook for a minute or so. It should still be pale.
  13. Beat egg yolks into milk and add slowly to the roux. Be sure and maintain a low heat while the sauce thickens. This will happen quickly so don't step away. Once it thickens, cut the heat off.
  14. Add salt, pepper, bay leaf and nutmeg. Cover the pan and let it sit for a few minutes.
  15. Stir in the yogurt.
  16. Beat the egg whites to soft peaks. Remove the bay leaf and fold the egg whites into the bechamel sauce. Set aside
  17. Assembly:
  18. Layer the potato slices over the bottom of a buttered casserole dish.
  19. Cover with the meat sauce.
  20. Layer the eggplant slices over the meat sauce pressing down a little to make sure they have liquid from the sauce to flavor them.
  21. Spoon the bechamel sauce over the eggplant, dust top with grated Parmesan, and cook in a 350 oven for 30 minutes.
Notes
You may find this easier if you make the meat sauce the day before.

This very rich dish is great with an arugula salad.
3.4.3177

 

Filed Under: Casseroles, Entree, Greek, Meat

Ragu alla Bolognese

June 15, 2019 by Carine Clary 2 Comments

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAEveryone needs a good basic ragu meat sauce and this one is a variation on the one our neighbor used to make when I was growing up. She was “Miss Nonna”  to us and her husband was an angostura bitters importer which I thought was the ultimate exotic profession (and notable by its absence at my high school career day, but no matter.) She made good everything and the only change to this basic ragu is the optional substitution of port wine for red wine and the addition of fennel pollen.

So assemble your ingredients as below and let ‘er rip (but very slowly and on a low temperature).

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA…and yes, that’s an anchovy over there at five o’clock. Just drop it in the pot and it will puree all on its own after a few hours.

Print
Ragu alla Bolognese
Author: Carine Clary
Cuisine: Italian
Serves: 4
 
Ingredients
  • ¼ cup lard (or same amount of olive oil and three strips bacon)
  • 1 medium onion, chopped fine
  • 1 medium carrot, grated
  • 1 rib celery, chopped fine
  • 3 cloves garlic, chopped fine
  • ½ tsp. fennel pollen (or fennel seeds, or powdered fennel)
  • 1 lb. ground chuck (or ½ lb. chuck & ½ lb ground pork or loose pork sausage)
  • ¼ cup red wine
  • a few gratings of fresh nutmeg
  • 1 bay leaf
  • ½ tsp. red pepper flakes (or cayenne)
  • 1 15 oz. can of tomato sauce
  • ¾ cup water
  • salt and black pepper to taste
  • Parmesan
Instructions
  1. Heat lard in heavy bottomed pan over medium heat. Add the vegetables and saute for about 5 minutes. If you’re using olive oil and bacon, mince the bacon and fry it in the oil till all the fat is rendered out. You can leave the bacon in.
  2. Raise heat to medium high, add beef stirring till it is broken up, about 5 minutes.
  3. Add spices & bay leaf.
  4. Add wine and stir till mostly evaporated.
  5. Add tomato sauce and water and cook over a very low heat for at least a couple of hours to three or four.
Notes
Very low heat means low as you can go. Don’t want to end up with sludge. And check for taste and consistency after an hour. Excellent base for lasagna. And don’t be afraid of the fennel. It won’t make the sauce taste like licorice – in this small amount it just enhances the flavor.
If you have it and are feeling adventurous, substitute in whole or part, ruby port for the wine. It’ll make the sauce a bit sweeter and richer.
If you're running a little short of ground meat don't worry. I've made this with about ⅔rds of a pound and it is plenty meaty.

Can add an optional anchovy. I usually do.
3.4.3177

 

Filed Under: Italian, Meat, Pastas & Pasta Sauces, Uncategorized Tagged With: italian meat sauce, ragu meat sauce, ragu sauce

Andouille Stuffed Pumpkin

October 26, 2018 by Carine Clary Leave a Comment

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAHog butchering and pumpkin picking both happen in autumn and what better way to celebrate great ingredients than combining them in an andouille stuffed pumpkin.

I’ve made this every fall for years and have tried all kinds of stuffings but these are the ingredients that seem to accent the pumpkin with true Louisiana flavors.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAAnd there are only ingredients – no measurements – since the amount of the stuffing will depend on the size of the pumpkin. So the first order of the day is to get a compact little pumpkin, in this case about three pounds, which should yield approximately four slices and then some tart fall apples and herbs for the stuffing.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAThe first order of business is to cut a hole in the top big enough to extract the seeds and attached strings. And don’t toss the seeds. You can save and toast them for snacking.

Now slice the andouille into rounds and saute till they start to color up. Remove and blot the rendered fat. Then cut them into quarters and dump them into a big bowl and add to taste celery, garlic, bell pepper and onion that has been sauteed in some butter. When you’re dicing the celery use the leaves if you have them since they are packed with flavor. Next add the croutons, diced apple, and the thyme and finally some salt, pepper, dash of cayenne, and a little grated nutmeg to the heavy cream and pour it into the pumpkin till it comes up almost to the top. You want to leave some space up there since the croutons will expand a bit in cooking.

The amounts of onion, celery, and garlic vary according to the size of the pumpkin, but for this three pounder I used about a heaping tablespoon of each.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAPut it in a 350 degree oven and started checking it at the hour and a half mark. Depending on how firm you like the pumpkin you might want to remove it then or let it go another thirty minutes or so. Just keep checking by lightly pressing the outside or by seeing if you can pierce it with a fork.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAIf you’re serving it by itself you might want to put it in a bowl as I did below and attack it with a spoon. It keeps all the delicious stuffing on top preventing your less health conscious family members from noticing that they’re eating something that’s really good for them!

The last piece….R.I.P…..(and you can see some of the toasted pumpkin seeds made a nice garnish for the leftovers.)

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Print
Andouille Stuffed Pumpkin
Author: Carine Clary
Cuisine: Cajun
 
Ingredients
  • 1 Pumpkin
  • Andouille (or other sausage of your choice) sliced into rounds
  • Onion or Scallions, finely diced
  • Garlic, finely diced
  • Celery, finely diced
  • Bell Pepper, finely diced
  • Croutons (or cubed herb stuffing)
  • Tart Apple, peeled & diced
  • Thyme
  • Heavy Cream
  • Nutmeg
  • Cayenne
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350.
  2. Cut a hole in the top of the pumpkin and remove the stem. Cut the strings off the bottom of the stem end and set aside.
  3. Using a serving spoon, thoroughly scrape out the insides and then add some salt & pepper.
  4. Finely dice the onion, garlic, bell pepper, and celery and saute in a little butter or oil until slightly softened, about 2 or 3 minutes.
  5. Put in a bowl and add the croutons, diced peeled apple, and thyme.
  6. Saute the the sliced rounds of andouille until lightly brown, remove, blot grease and cut up. Add to the bowl with the other ingredients and give it a good stir.
  7. Spoon it into the pumpkin's cavity leaving a little space at the top.
  8. Add some nutmeg, cayenne, and salt to the heavy cream and pour it into the pumpkin. The cream can be a little below the top since it will bubble up while cooking.
  9. Place the stuffed pumpkin in a greased or parchment lined pan, put the stem end back on top and cook till the pumpkin is soft, about and hour and a half.
Notes
A good alternative to the sausage rounds is to use loose sausage or remove the sausage from its casing, crumble it and saute.
Use croutons made from dense breads that have been well toasted, Pepperidge Farm loose or cubed stuffing is good. If you're using your homemade croutons don't use ones made from a soft white or egg bread as they will go slimy on you.
An alternative filling would be substituting slightly under cooked rice for the croutons.
You can use fresh or dried thyme just remember that it's powerful so don't use too much.
If you decide to use the seeds you'll notice that they're covered with slimy strings. To destring and deslime them just rinse them in a pan then dump them in a salad spinner and they will be ready to toast in a pan on the stove or in the oven.
3.2.2708

Filed Under: Cajun, Entree, Meat, Southern, Uncategorized, Vegetables

Grillades & Grits

September 5, 2018 by Carine Clary Leave a Comment

Grillades & GritsGrillades is the breakfast dish you make at night. Wake up, put the pot on to warm and start making the grits. In less time than it takes for people to stumble into the kitchen you will have prepared a delicious, complex and filling meal that will keep family and/or guests full for hours.

Although a classic brunch dish usually eaten out, it can be a lifesaver on holidays when you have lots of people but need something to feed the masses which can be served stoveside.

To start you must flour and saute the meat in batches like this: And note that you can also slice it into strips as I did before adding it to the gravy.

GrilladesThe meat can be beef, veal or pork but since it is a low and slow cooking dish I would opt for the cheaper cuts of beef or pork as veal’s delicate flavor would be really swallowed up in the sauce, or should I say gravy….and we know how southerners like their gravy. After you have browned all the meat set it aside and add the vegetables to the pot:

GrilladesCook for a few minutes until softened then add the beef broth. Stir well and to enhance the gravy I make a paste of the dredging flour and some balsamic vinegar like this:

GrilladesOnce everything is well mixed lay the meat into the gravy making sure it is covered then put the top on and cook until the meat is fork tender. When it’s done you can either serve or refrigerate for the next day.

The other critical component is the grits. Grits are simple as long as you follow a few simple rules. They should be stone ground, stirred well, and salted & peppered thoroughly…and fresh pepper too. The liquid can be water but for really delicious grits I use chicken broth and heavy cream. The heavy cream suggestion came from the owner of the Refuel Café on Hampson Street. He has the best grits in town and that’s why.

And even though the grillades are swimming in gravy, don’t forget to add some butter to the grits (as seen below, pooling around the edges). Eat this for a late breakfast and it’ll last you to mid afternoon. Happily!

Grillades & Grits

Print
Grillades
Author: Carine Clary
Cuisine: Creole
 
Ingredients
  • For the Meat Sauce:
  • 2 lbs beef round
  • 1 cup flour
  • 6 tablespoons vegetable oil (or rendered bacon fat)
  • 1 cup onion, diced
  • ½ cup green bell pepper, diced
  • ½ cup red bell pepper, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 stalks celery, diced
  • 1 tsp. ground fennel
  • 2 sprigs of fresh thyme or 1 tsp. ground
  • 1 tsp. paprika
  • 1 tsp. red pepper flakes
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 10 oz. can of beef consume
  • 1 14 oz. can of diced tomatoes
  • 2 tablespoons of the dredging flour
  • 1 tablespoon of red balsamic (or wine) vinegar
  • For the grits:
  • 2 cups grits
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • salt and fresh black pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. For the grillades:
  2. Pound out meat until about ¼ inch thick, then dredge in flour.
  3. Heat to medium a large pan and pour in oil.
  4. Place in pan to brown on each side. Prepare in batches and set aside.
  5. Add onion, green & red bell pepper, garlic and celery and saute for 5 minutes or until softened.
  6. Add beef consume, diced tomatoes, fennel, thyme, paprika and bay leaves and give it a good stir.
  7. Take the flour from dreadging & enough wine vinegar to make a thick paste then stir into sauce slowly to thicken.
  8. Lay in the meat & make sure it's submerged in the sauce. Cover & cook on low for 2 hours or in the oven at 225 for the same amount of time. If you cook on the stove top check to make sure the bottom isn't burning.
  9. For the grits:
  10. Combine all ingredients, cook over a medium flame and stir continuously until done.
Notes
Be careful when adding salt if you use canned beef consume. The canned soup is very salty.
3.4.3177

 

Filed Under: Breakfast, Meat Tagged With: grillades, grillades & grits

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