Following a holiday to Corfu in July and falling in love with the Greek cusine, I was really happy when Terpsi Goods approached to work with me. Terpsi Goods specialises in authentic Greek products including extra virgin olive oils, herbal teas, spice mixes and olives. I was excited to work with the Terpsi due to the range of tasty goods on offer and the authenticity of the company- all of the staff members are Greek and wished to bring the flavour of Greece to the UK. I would never recommend a brand I didn’t fully believe in and I am happy to say that the products are very high quality and value for money. They bring me back to Greece and the amazing food I had there which is the best part! My favourite product is the Kalamata Olive paste- it is by far the best olive tapenade/Pate type spread I have tasted and is great as a snack spread on an oatcake or cracker.
Have a look at their website here and don’t forget to use my code kerry524 for 20% discount off the whole site.
With the products I decided to make a mousaka inspired dish. I would say this is a hybrid between a savoury baklava and a Lamb mousaka. It is rich, flavoursome and has just the right delicate spicing found in Greek cuisine. I feel it works best with lamb but if you’re not a fan, it would work just as well with beef- just buy a cheap cut suitable for slow cooking such as brisket or short ribs.
RECIPE
Difficulty Level: Home Cook
Serves 4
Ingredients:
- Lamb shoulder (I used a bone in 900g piece)
- 2 tablespoons Terpsi Goods mousaka mix
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 lemon
- 5 garlic cloves, unpeeled.
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 5 tablespoons tomato purée
- 3 tomatoes, finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 large aubergine
- 1 pack of feta cheese
- 4 sheets filo pastry
- Honey
- Terpsi Goods Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Salt and Pepper
- To serve: Crusty bread and Kalamata Olive Spread
Method:
- Heat the oven to 150C
- With a sharp knife, carefully pierce the lamb all over. This ensures the flavours go all through the meat. Place into a roasting dish.
- Drizzle the lamb with extra virgin olive oil and rub the mousaka spice mix and a good grind of salt and pepper all over the meat and into the piercings.
- Stuff the garlic cloves into the pierced holes.
- Zest the lemon over the lamb and then cut in half, placing the halves underneath the lamb.
- Pour 200ml of water into the bottom of the roasting dish. Add the cinnamon stick to the water.
- Cover tightly with foil and roast in the oven for up to 6 hours (I roasted it for 4 and a half) This could also be done in a slow cooker- cook for 8-10 hours on the low setting or 4-6 on the high setting). Be sure to baste the lamb with the liquid every so often.
- Meanwhile, make the sauce. Sweat the onion in a little extra virgin olive oil in a pan over a low heat for around 20 minutes until really soft and sticky. Add the ground cinnamon and stir to coat the onions. Add the tomatoes and the tomato purée and 200ml water. Simmer until thickened, for around 5-10 minutes.
- When the lamb is cooked, remove from the oven and allow to rest for at least 20 minutes. Remove the fat that should have settled on the top of the liquid and put into a bowl.
- Shred the lamb (as if you would with pulled pork) with two forks, mix with any liquid in the bottom of the dish and and squeeze the lemon and garlic cloves into the lamb. Remove the cinnamon stick.
- Add the lamb mix to to the sauce and stir to combine. Add a little more water if it is too dry and taste to adjust the seasoning and cinnamon- you should be able to taste the warm cinnamon flavour.
- Heat a griddle or frying pan on a high heat. Slice the aubergine thinly and brush each slice with the fat off the lamb, or more oil. Griddle each slice until golden brown on both sides.
- Heat the oven to 180C. Now put the lamb bake together: layer a dish up with aubergine, lamb and then the feta until you reach the top of the dish.
- Brush each layer of filo with extra virgin olive oil and top the filling with the pastry. Finish with a drizzling of honey- be generous, around two tablespoons. Score the pastry with a sharp knife into a diamond pattern. Bake for around 25 minutes until the pastry is golden brown.
- Enjoy with some crunchy fluffy baguettes spread with Terpsi Kalamata Olive Spread.
- TIPS
- Use beef instead of lamb
- You could use more filo if you want: start your layers with 4 layers of filo and add to subsequent layers as you go on
- Would be great served with a Greek salad
