Philip BaileyMOUSSAKA ~ WITH AN ENGLISH ACCENT
Philip confesses:
Moussaka – the real thing – uses lamb mince and aubergines. The only time I tried doing it by the book it was almost inedible, I followed a recipe which told me to salt the aubergines (and wash off after about 15 minutes) to remove the bitter humours. It was so salty as to be nearly inedible, as aubergines have been bred to no longer have bitterness. My guests were perfectly polite, but I never dared invite them back. So I reverted to doing it Mum’s way, which was a lot easier. 
Moussaka - with an English accent
INGREDIENTS
NOTE: To make one pound of potatoes, you would probably need either 3 small, 2 medium-sized, or 1 large potato - roughly speaking.
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Philip Bailey
Philip writes:
Born where South London and Surrey merge into amorphous suburb, I decided at the age of 8 I wanted to be a cathedral organist. We're still waiting on that one.
I was lucky to have someone introduce me to the Organ Club in 1973 and this further fuelled devotion to the King of Instruments with visits to major churches, some of which I was allowed to play. I was several times first prize winner in the open class for organists at the local Chichester music festival. Proudest moment, organ-wise, was playing 30 minutes-worth of music before a memorial service in Bristol Cathedral, and timing the last bar of Elgar's Nimrod exactly as the Dean ascended the pulpit steps to start the service. I migrated to the south coast and gained experience enough accompanying choirs to be let loose in public on cathedral organs from Exeter to Newcastle, and Llandaff to Norwich. 40 years ago I bought my first Citroën and not many years have passed since without at least one in the garage. I recently saved one which was 10 days away from banger racing and got it roadworthy and reliable. Philip's YouTube channel, the Wandering Organist
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METHOD
- Cook the onions (with optional garlic, powder or a clove) in a little oil with the herbs, add the mince, purée and mushrooms when they’re done. If the sauce is a little liquid, add some plain flour to thicken the gravy to required consistency.
- Par-boil about 1lb of potatoes, and then slice thinly (under ¼” thick). Alternatively, just put the potatoes through the food processor blade so they’re about 2mm thick. These take longer to cook, but hold their shape better.
- Make a cheese sauce. (See below)
- Layer of mince, layer of potatoes, another layer of mince and then another of potatoes. Pour cheese sauce over the top. Sprinkle with a cheese which grills well. Then put in the oven at about 180C until cooked, run a skewer through the middle to check. I find about an hour or 75 minutes (unboiled potatoes) should do it, but don’t quote me. That cooks the potatoes but they still have a little firmness to them.
- Serve with salad and a roll to mop up the gravy/sauce/ - whatever it’s called.
CHEESE SAUCE
- 25g/1oz butter
- 25g/1oz plain flour
- 400–500ml milk
- 80g/3oz mature cheddar, grated (or substitute another good melting cheese, such as gruyère)
- salt and white pepper
- Pinch of nutmeg (optional)
- Melt the Butter in a small pan.
- Whisk in the flour and cook for about 1 minute until it forms a frothy mixture.
- Remove the pan from the heat and gradually whisk in the milk, a little at a time, to ensure a smooth, lump-free sauce.
- Return the pan to the heat and bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring constantly until it thickens and coats the back of a spoon.
- Remove the sauce from the heat. Stir in the grated cheese, whisking until it is completely melted and the sauce is smooth.
- Season the cheese sauce with salt, pepper, and a pinch of ground nutmeg (optional) .
