Comments on: Exquisite Lamb Moussaka

By: jill

jill — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 09:38:51 +0000

Can you give us your thoughts on what you most love, in flavour terms, about sous vide cooking. I’d like to know both for prime cuts like rack of lamb and for cheap cuts that need long cooking like shin of beef.

Your blog is a delight.

Thanks

By: Madalene

Madalene — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 09:35:35 +0000

Dear Jill,

Now you have asked me a question! Well I suppose I could be here for quite some time.
In short (this is my opinion! others might disagree with me) I believe that sous vide is best suited for cuts of meat that require slow long cooking ie: cheaper cuts such as the shoulder, shin, etc.. the taste result is more intense, the meat does not dry out and the texture is tender, flaky and succulent. For prime cuts such as the rack I do not believe that the taste is that much different HOWEVER you do definitively keep the juices in and the shrinkage is hardly any and hence the yield is better and in a long winded way the taste should be better as you keep the juices all in.

I hope this sort of answer your question.

Happy Cooking
Madalene

By: Philip Dundas

Philip Dundas — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 17:55:00 +0000

I really do think it makes such a difference to use leftover lamb roast and to finely chop it by hand, rather than mince. The rich flavours produced in cooking really do bring some new life to the dish.
I think the individual moussaka idea is genius!

By: Michael the Poet

Michael the Poet — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 08:25:47 +0000

Hell! There’s no way round it. I’m going to have to marry you. Moussaka is my favourite dish. Surely it’s the all-time comfort food and yours is caressingly temptational, enough to turn me into an adulterer. How wicked you are!!!! But do I care? NO! How are you fixed on Wednesdays?
P.S. Adding potato creates the masculine version, giving it more main-meal body and would be preferred by your rugby playing truck driver friends.

By: Miranda

Miranda — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 01:52:24 +0000

Love your recipes. I’ll try and adapt this one to a pressure cooker.

As to potatoes, since they only became available when the ‘new world’ was discovered, no cusine would have used them pre-1600s. This also illustrates how adaptive to new produce people have always been.

In Australia, i don’t think potato is used, but i’m no expert.

By: Rose

Rose — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 19:21:50 +0000

This is stunning. I love the individual rings of moussaka alongside that gorgeous lamb!

By: Jonathan

Jonathan — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 14:20:08 +0000

This is a brilliant idea. It looks incredible. Do you manage to get a souffle top on the aubergine element?

By: Madalene

Madalene — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 14:18:46 +0000

Hi Jonathan,
The amount of the topping that I applied did not souffle however if I think it should if you apply a thicker layer.
Happy Cooking
Madalene

By: Sook @ My Fabulous Recipes

Sook @ My Fabulous Recipes — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 22:24:25 +0000

Beautiful photos!

By: Lucy

Lucy — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 16:10:30 +0000

I do love mousakka – I’d not thought of doing individual ones before – they look great especially with the perfect ring of aubergine skin – thanks for that tip. Sometimes my grilled aubergine turns out a little/dry – any tips on this? Just add more olive oil?