{"id":958,"date":"2012-06-25T20:42:31","date_gmt":"2012-06-26T00:42:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/pappp.net\/?p=958"},"modified":"2012-06-25T20:42:31","modified_gmt":"2012-06-26T00:42:31","slug":"moussaka","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pappp.net\/?p=958","title":{"rendered":"Moussaka"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"https:\/\/pappp.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/06\/MoussakaPlate.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pappp.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/06\/MoussakaPlate-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"Plated Moussaka\" title=\"MoussakaPlate\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignleft size-large wp-image-966\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pappp.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/06\/MoussakaPlate-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/pappp.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/06\/MoussakaPlate-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/pappp.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/06\/MoussakaPlate.jpg 1400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>I decided to make some <a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Moussaka\">Moussaka<\/a> on a whim last night. As usual when I try to make something new, I browsed a couple recipes off the &#8216;net, then mostly ignored them and made it up as I went.  I actually think of the pastry-topped moussaka I&#8217;ve had a couple times before the more traditional toppings, but phyllo is no fun, and <a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/B%C3%A9chamel_sauce\">B\u00e9chamel<\/a> is, so I decided to split the difference on traditional recipes and made a B\u00e9chamel topping set with egg yolks like a custard.  Torturing a recipe requires a starting point, so this moussaka is a pretty traditional Greek three-layer preparation, with simple process and cheap readily available ingredients.  <\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<div id='gallery-1' class='gallery galleryid-958 gallery-columns-4 gallery-size-thumbnail'><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/pappp.net\/?attachment_id=1025'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/pappp.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/06\/Kitchen1-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/pappp.net\/?attachment_id=965'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/pappp.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/06\/MoussakaKitchen-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"The side of the kitchen in process - this would be easier with six hands.\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/pappp.net\/?attachment_id=960'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/pappp.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/06\/MoussakaAssembly1-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"Beginning Assembly\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/pappp.net\/?attachment_id=961'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/pappp.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/06\/MoussakaAssembly2-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"Eggplant in the pan\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><br style=\"clear: both\" \/><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/pappp.net\/?attachment_id=962'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/pappp.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/06\/MoussakaAssembly3-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"Meat and onion layer down\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/pappp.net\/?attachment_id=963'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/pappp.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/06\/MoussakaAssembly4-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"Topping applied\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/pappp.net\/?attachment_id=966'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/pappp.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/06\/MoussakaPlate-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"Plated Moussaka\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/pappp.net\/?attachment_id=964'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/pappp.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/06\/MoussakaDone-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"Out of the oven, nice and set.\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><br style=\"clear: both\" \/><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/pappp.net\/?attachment_id=959'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/pappp.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/06\/ConfettiCake-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"Confetti Cake, just because\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl>\n\t\t\t<br style='clear: both' \/>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<p>The base is an eggplant, hacked into 1\/2&#8243; thick sections, set out briefly with a light layer of salt to draw the water out, then patted down and pan fried in olive oil.  In the future, I&#8217;ll probably double up on the eggplant, but I would have had to prep it in batches, and fuck that.  <\/p>\n<p>The middle layer is cooked down 80\/20 ground beef and two chopped onions, spiced with a liberal dose of garlic, ground black pepper, cinnamon, and crushed allspice.  Once again, next run will be different. I&#8217;m pretty sure it would be better with something a stronger and leaner, like lamb, but beef is apparently traditional, and is certainly cheaper and easier to obtain.  <\/p>\n<p>The top layer (aka. cholesterol topping) started with two tablespoons of butter worth of ~1:1 roux, mixed with whole milk to a thinner consistency then I would usually, to make room for the thickening effects of four egg yolks stirred in until cooked.  It made a really nice topping, but I&#8217;d like to try making the top crispier by adding a layer of bread crumbs or a sheet of phyllo.  <\/p>\n<p>It came out pretty well.  A little greasy, a bit milder than intended, and light on eggplant (hey, I love eggplant), but overall satisfying.  It also reheats incredibly well, which is a big feature for this kind of dish.<\/p>\n<p>I also made a white cake (actually, a two layer confetti cake, from mix &#8211; I&#8217;m lazy and like tacky brightly-colored cakes.) out of the whites from the eggs for the B\u00e9chamel\/Egg Custard topping.  I often guilt myself out of making things with separated eggs because I hate to throw the other half out, and the oven was on, so there is an excuse for the cake.  There are <strong>two<\/strong> relevant XKCDs here, <a href=\"http:\/\/xkcd.com\/140\/\">Delicious<\/a> and <a href=\"http:\/\/xkcd.com\/418\/\">Stove Ownership<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I decided to make some Moussaka on a whim last night. As usual when I try to make something new, I browsed a couple recipes off the &#8216;net, then mostly ignored them and made it up as I went. I &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/pappp.net\/?p=958\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-958","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-foodblogging"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pappp.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/958","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pappp.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pappp.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pappp.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pappp.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=958"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/pappp.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/958\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pappp.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=958"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pappp.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=958"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pappp.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=958"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}