• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
✮ The Food Dictator ✮

The Hirshon “Cypriot” Moussaka – Μουσακάς

May 2, 2015 by The Generalissimo Leave a Comment

100
SHARES
FacebookTwitterPinterestRedditWhatsappYummly
Light Dark Dark Light
()
The Hirshon "Cypriot" Moussaka
Moussaka Image Used Under Creative Commons License From wearenotfoodies.com

Citizens! This afternoon, I was most privileged to enjoy what was the best moussaka of my life. It was at a Turkish restaurant in San Francisco – despite what you may have thought, Turks do indeed have moussaka as well as the Greeks!

The best-known version in Europe and the Americas is the Greek variant created in the 1920s by Nikolaos Tselementes. Many versions have a top layer made of milk-based sauce thickened with egg (custard) or flour (béchamel sauce). In Greece, the dish is layered and typically served hot. This is quite different from the versions that continue to be made in Turkey and the Middle East. In Turkey, mussaka consists of thinly sliced and fried eggplant served in a tomato-based meat sauce, warm or at room temperature. In the Arab countries, it is often eaten cold, but occasionally hot as well.

The English name for moussaka was borrowed from Greek mousakás (μουσακάς) and from other Balkan languages, all borrowed from Ottoman Turkish, which in turn borrwed it from Arabic musaqqa‘a (مسقعة), literally “that which is fed liquid”. The word is first attested in English in 1862, written mùzàkkà.

Most versions are based primarily on sautéed aubergine (eggplant) and tomato, usually with minced meat, mostly lamb. However, the Greek version includes layers of meat and eggplant topped with a Béchamel (“white”) sauce, and baked. It seems likely that the Greek moussaka has Arab origins and is related to the Levantine musakhkhan, with the word moussaka derived from this Arab word.

The modern Greek version was created by the French-trained Greek chef Nikolaos Tselementes in the 1920s. A classic recipe has three layers that are separately cooked before being combined for the final baking: a bottom layer of sliced eggplant sautéed in olive oil; a middle layer of ground lamb lightly cooked with chopped or puréed tomatoes, onion, garlic, and spices (cinnamon, allspice and black pepper); and a top layer of Béchamel sauce or savory custard.

The composed dish is then layered into a pan and baked until the top layer is browned. Moussaka is usually served warm, not piping hot; if cut hot out of the oven, moussaka squares tend to slide apart and consequently the dish needs some resting time to firm up before serving. Reheating, however, does not present the same problem.

The moussaka I enjoyed in San Francisco was not layered, as the Greek version is. Here, ground beef (not lamb) is mixed with tomato sauce and spices plus thinly-sliced eggplant. In this particular version, it did use a bechamel topping that had a cheesy goodness (Turkish moussaka does not normally use bechamel, but Greek always does) plus it uniquely used red peppers and most importantly mint in the meat filling. It also mixed zucchini with the eggplant, a touch I especially liked.

I of course immediately sought to replicate this – since it combines both Greek and Turkish elements I call my version “Cypriot” after the island of Cyprus where both nationalities reside. Also, I am specifying Cypriot Halloumi cheese and there is also a moussaka served on the island as well.

The English name for moussaka comes from modern Greek mousakás (μουσακάς), which derived from the Turkish musakka, which itself came from Arabic musaqqa‘ah (مسقعة), meaning “chilled”.

Citizens, (immodestly) I find my recipe to be totally delicious and I hope you will try this magnificent fusion of two mighty cuisines for yourself! A factoid for you as well – Cyprus has a special place in the heart of any secular Israeli, as they must be married outside of Israel for the marriage to be considered legal if htey aren’t orthodox Jews. Cyprus is the closest friendly country to Israel and thus most Israelis get married there!

Battle on – The Generalissimo

Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon

The Hirshon “Cypriot” Moussaka


★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

  • Total Time: 0 hours
Print Recipe
Pin Recipe

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • For the Béchamel Sauce:
  • 4 1/4 cups milk, boiling
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 6 tbsp plain flour
  • 2 eggs
  • A heaping 3/4 cup of grated Halloumi cheese
  • pinch of salt
  • ***
  • For the Moussaka:
  • 3 Japanese eggplants
  • 2 Zucchini
  • Vegetable oil for frying
  • 1 onion
  • 1 large clove garlic, minced
  • 1 tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 red roasted bell pepper (skin removed) or red Hungarian pepper
  • 1 pound lean ground beef
  • 1 large tomato
  • 1 tbsp. tomato paste
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp. allspice
  • 3 large tomatoes
  • 1 tbsp. tomato paste
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/4 tsp. black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp. sugar
  • 1/2 tsp. Greek oregano
  • 1/2 cup tiny whole fresh mint leaves or chopped
  • Additional grated Halloumi for sprinkling

Instructions

  1. Begin by peeling your eggplants and zucchini. Using a vegetable peeler, begin at one end and remove a strip of peel from end to end. Leave a strip of peel about the same width, then peel another strip from end to end. Repeat this until your eggplant and zucchini are peeled in a striped pattern. Peel all the eggplants and zucchini this way.
  2. Slice the eggplants about ¼ inch thick. Put all the eggplant slices in a large bowl of salty water and let them soak for about 30 minutes. This removes the bitterness.
  3. Slice the zucchini also about ¼ inch thick.
  4. Now move on to the Béchamel sauce. Bring the milk to a boil then take off the heat and set aside. Melt the butter in a pan, scatter over the flour and stir to form a smooth roux. Gradually whisk in the boiling milk until smooth and completely incorporated. Heat until thickened (you want the consistency of pudding) then take off the heat and set aside for 2 minutes to cool.
  5. Beat the eggs in a bowl. When the sauce has cooled, add two ladlefuls into the eggs then whisk the egg mixture back into the sauce. Add the grated Halloumi cheese and stir to combine – keep warm on a low heat until ready to use.
  6. Dice the pepper and grate the tomato. Peel and chop the onion finely and fry it in 1 tablespoon of olive oil until tender. Add the pepper slices and garlic, continue frying until soft. Add the ground beef and fry until browned. Add the grated tomato, tomato paste and spices. Cover the pan and let the meat simmer for about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat.
  7. Grate the other three tomatoes and put them in a small saucepan. Add the tomato paste, salt, pepper, oregano and sugar and let the sauce simmer for about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat.
  8. Remove the eggplant slices from the water and blot them dry with paper towels. Fry them on both sides in vegetable oil until tender and golden brown on both sides. Drain them well on paper towels. Repeat with the zucchini.
  9. Combine the tomato sauce, eggplant, zucchini and meat and place in a shallow casserole as a mixture. Add the mint leaves, stir well.
  10. Pour the hot bechamel sauce over the meat layer, covering it completely (you may have more than you need). Sprinkle the extra grated cheese evenly over the top of the casserole.
  11. Bake the casserole in a 360° F/180° C oven until the top turns golden brown.
  12. Remove the casserole from the oven and let it rest for at least 10 minutes before cutting it into squares and serving with Turkish-style rice pilaf.
  • Prep Time: 0 hours
  • Cook Time: 0 hours

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @thefooddictator on Pinterest, Instagram or Facebook and hashtag it #TFD

How useful was this post, Citizen?

Click to rate My Recipe, Citizen - 5 hearts are ALWAYS appreciated!

Average rating / 5. Vote count:

No votes so far! Be the first to rate this post.

As you found this post useful...

Follow us on social media, Citizen!

We are sorry that this post was not useful for you!

Let us improve this post!

Tell us how we can improve this post?

Related posts:

The Hirshon Calabrian Spicy Vegetable Spread - Bomba Calabrese
Amish Mashed Potatoes
The Hirshon Kentucky Pork Shoulder Chop “BBQ” And Vinegar Slaw
Rick Moonen's New York City Cioppino
The Hirshon Azerbaijani Shekerbura - Şəkərbura
The Hirshon Sausage-Stuffed Mushroom Appetizer
The Hirshon Thai Pork with Garlic and Pepper - หมูทอดกระเทียมพริกไทย
The Hirshon Thai Spicy Green Chicken Curry with Eggplant - แกงเขียวหวาน

Filed Under: Recipes Tagged With: Beef, Cheese, Egg

About The Generalissimo

The myth of the Generalissimo is far more interesting than the reality.

Previous Post: « The Hirshon ‘Triple Fowler’ Chicken Soup And Matzo Balls
Next Post: The Hirshon Polish Creamed Mushrooms On Toast – Grzyby w Śmietanie »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

Primary Sidebar

➤ Citizens – Please Support TFD Nation!

Donate to Help TFD!

⇔ Search, And Ye Shall Assuredly Find!

✮ Citizens ✮

TFD currently has a total of 1,365 posts and 1,162,744 words written since December of 2014! Add your voice to My 50,000+ dedicated readers, comment on My recipes and thus become an active member of TFD Nation! Looking for a particular recipe? Search for it in the box above or via the category tags below - there are THOUSANDS of the finest in world and historic recipes here!

❧ TREMBLE Before Our Categoric Zeal!

Appetizers (146)Beef (143)Beverages (24)Bread (112)Cheese (64)Chicken (132)Chinese (122)Chocolate (16)Condiments (262)Dessert (166)Drinks (23)Duck (20)Egg (47)Fish (56)French (56)Game (30)Georgian (34)Indian (60)Italian (58)Jewish (84)Lamb (73)Manifestos (1)Pasta (90)Pork (148)Salad (40)Sandwich (42)Seafood (84)Shrimp (53)Soup (110)Spices (12)Tofu (7)Turkey (15)Veal (18)Vegetables (108)

✺ Click to Follow Us Across Social Media!

Facebook   

    instagram

☥ TFD SPEAKS!!!

https://www.thefooddictator.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/TFD-Avatar-Cold-Open-FINAL.mp4

 Enjoy TFD’s Mellifluous Podcasts, Citizen!

Listen on Apple Podcasts

© 2023 · The Food Dictator is abjectly served by WORDPRESS

✮ The Food Dictator ✮
Manage Cookie Consent
Citizens!

Be advised that as an enlightened Dictatorship here at TFD, we are indeed on the side of right when it comes to protecting the privacy of TFD Nation!

We do use technologies such as cookies to store and/or access device information, solely to improve your browsing experience and to show personalized ads.

Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions - trust us, we really ARE on your side!

YOUR LOYALTY IS NOTED! 🎖️
Functional Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
Manage options Manage services Manage vendors Read more about these purposes
View preferences
{title} {title} {title}
100
SHARES
FacebookTwitterPinterestRedditMailYummly