Recipe and how to make Turkish Mussaka (version two)

 

This Mussaka is the Turkish version of the wonderful Moussaka you'll find in Greece. It's similar, but not served with a bechamel sauce. The recipe is easy and can be put together as you do other things, as everything is in stages.

So first cut several aubergines into 2 cm rings, place in a large bowl of very salted water for thirty minutes or so.

Heat oven to 240. Rinse and drain aubergines, then squeeze them with your hands (this is the best tip ever with aubergines, treat them like a sponge, squeeze them, scrape seeds off with a knife if poss) dry on kitchen roll, arrange on a heated, lightly oiled baking tray and cook till browned (turn after fifteen mins), Cooking takes about thirty minutes.

Peel several spuds, cut into slices and wash and parboil for eight mins. Drain and leave.

Gently fry an onion until translucent, add garlic, add a teaspoon of hot paprika and a teaspoon of cinnamon, then the mince. brown, then add tom puree, chopped tomatoes, season and add some chicken stock, simmer.

Now time to combine, spuds on the bottom of a pyrex dish, a layer of mince sauce, aubergines, a layer of mince sauce, aubergines. Finish with more sauce, tomatoes, sliced peppers and put in the oven for for forty mins.