Steemit Iron Chef 2017 #06 - Greek Moussaka

This surely was mental telepathy. I was thinking about Moussaka and that I hadn't made it in a long time. What a surprise I got when I heard that the theme for this weeks competition was eggplant. I knew I had to choose this dish although my feelings were that it was probably a popular dish with egg plant and I may not be the only one making it but then @offoodandart said to me "I bet you make moussaka" - and that was it - moussaka it had to be - one way or the other.

So, off to the Saturday market this morning to find some eggplant. Jack and I got there quite early and a lady was packing up the eggplant in her packet and examining them as she was taking them. I was anxious she was going to take most of them and stood there giving her a beady eye to make way for me. Finally I picked three beautiful specimens. Jack took a photograph of me holding one. You can see how empty the basket was.

These are some of the ingredients I used

First I cut the eggplant into rounds and soaked in some salt water - I believe this reduces the liquid in them. Then I placed them on rollertowel to dry them before frying lightly in olive oil

Mince, tomato and onion

Mix it all through

Lightly fry the eggplant in a little olive oil and drain on paper towel - same with the potato rounds and make some cheese sauce. I make cheese sauce by melting butter, adding some flour and cheese and thinning with milk.

This is me frying the eggplant and some potato rounds with the bechamel sauce ready on the side

Now to get the dish ready and layered - first the eggplant

Add the mince

Layer the potato rounds on top of the mince

The cheese sauce has been added and now ready to pop into the oven

Following the rules

My guest arrived just as it came out the oven and I asked if he would like to have a taste. He brought me a plate and immediately stood by for me to serve some to him - so hence the photograph with the piece missing. At least I can say he truly enjoyed it and couldn't thank me enough. It was worth it all.

Thanks again to @progressivechef and all the other participants with their fabulous contributions - without all of you this competition would not happen. Wishing you all the very best of luck in being selected.

Thanks to @deimus for taking some of the photographs for me. The ones he didn't take I took with my new Huawei mobile phone camera - loving the way it takes my photographs. All @OriginalWorks - are my own photographs and the ones Jack took for me