Artichoke moussaka - (Mousakas me agginares)

NOTES

Greek : Μουσακάς με αγγινάρες
Serves / Yields : 6 persons
Season:Winter,Spring

INGREDIENTS

• 15 artichokes
• 1 bunch spring onions, finely chopped
• 1 bunch dill, finely chopped
• 1/2 kg minced meat (pork or beef)
• 2 spoons butter
• 1 tomato, not to ripe
• 3 lemons
• Some oil
  For the cream
  
• 1 lt warm milk
• 8 spoons flour
• 2 eggs
• 4-5 spoons butter
• Piquant kefalotyri chese, grated
• Some grated hard tack

METHOD

Clean the artichokes. Slice the stem of the artichokes and remove the outer leaves, which are hard in texture. Rub each artichoke with the lemon and put all of them in a saucepan full of salted water. Boil them and when they are ready remove from heat and drain.

Prepare the minced meat. Heat the oil in a saucepan, roast the onions, add the butter and the minced meat. Stir well. Add some water and the tomato and simmer until all water is absorbed. When ready remove from heat and add half of the dill.

Cut the artichokes in pieces and spread them in a baking pan along with the minced meat. Then, prepare the cream as the following instructions indicate: Heat the butter in a saucepan and add the flour. Add gradually the warm milk and stir until the cream thickens. This is the procedure for making the bechamel sauce, which is used as topping in moussaka and pasticio. Do not let the cream boil. Remove from heat. Beat the eggs well and add them with half of the cheese and the rest of the dill

Spread the cream on top of the artichokes and the minced meat. Pour over the rest of the cheese and the hard tack and add also some pieces of fresh butter. Bake the moussaka in 200 C until it takes a brown color.


Source: Greek-recipe.com