Vegan moussaka: A new spin on a tradition
Lentils instead of lamb and a béchamel sauce in place of the custard
Antler restaurant in Toronto has been garnering its fair share of press as dietary puritan extremists have been protesting it because it cooks and serves animals on their menu.
The actions of this small group of vicious vegans have brought international attention to this eatery, which now boasts a reservation list that is booked three months in advance. I have been cooking animals for more than 35 years not once was I able to garner this much attention. Oh, the outrage!
So to ward off against this happening to me I offer an olive branch in the form of a purely vegan recipe for moussaka, traditionally made with ground lamb sandwiched between layers of eggplant and potato in a tomato-based preparation made all the better by being topped with a creamy custard like sauce made of egg and milk or cream.
The recipe will see lentils used in place of the lamb and a béchamel sauce in place of the custard.
Lentils were discovered 12,000 years ago in the Middle East and are labeled as split or whole. Split lentils have had the tough seed coat around the lentil removed and the embryo or inner part of the lentil has been split in half.
Split lentils cook twice as fast as a whole lentil and are preferred in soup based recipes as they can be pureed where whole lentils are best used in recipes like moussaka or wherever you want a firm meaty texture.
Canada is the world leader in lentil production with Saskatchewan producing the bulk of the large green and red lentil varieties which are available dried yearround.
I used the following recipe recently while catering a Buddhist wedding ceremony. It kept the herbivores happy and the carnivores content. Like many recipes, it tastes better if you cook it a day ahead before serving it to let the flavours develop.
Vegan Moussaka
Ingredients:
3 tbsp. cooking oil
2 small onions, finely diced 3 garlic cloves, minced
2-3 tsp. cinnamon
2 pinches of ground clove
½ tsp nutmeg, grated
2 cans diced tomatoes, with juice 2 bay leaves
½ cup dried green lentils, rinsed ¼ cup red wine
4 medium eggplants
4 medium potatoes, peeled
Sauce
7 tbsp. cooking oil 7 tbsp. white flour
2 ¼ cups milk, soy milk or almond milk Grated nutmeg, to taste
1 tbsp. lemon juice
Method: In separate pots bring the lentils and potatoes to a boil with plenty of water and cook for 10 mins. Drain and set aside.
Slice the eggplant lengthwise into ½” thick slices and arrange them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake in a preheated oven at 400° f for 25-30 minutes, or until they are soft and lightly browned. Set aside to cool.
Sauté the onions in a sauce pot with oil over medium heat, until they begin to brown. Stir in the garlic and spices letting them cook for about a minute while continuously stirring. Add the tomatoes, bay leaves, wine and lentils. Simmer over low-medium heat uncovered, stirring occasionally until the liquid has reduced by half. Set the lentil mixture aside to cool and season to taste using salt, sugar and pepper.
For the sauce, make a roux by heating the oil over med-low heat, in a heavy-bottom pot and gradually add the flour to the oil while whisking continuously. Cook the oil-flour mixture on a low heat for about 5 minutes stirring continuously. Slowly whisk in the milk and continue whisking and cooking until the sauce thickens. Whisk in grated nutmeg and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Allow sauce cool down.
Assemble the moussaka by slicing the cooked potatoes into 1/4” thick slices and laying them out on the bottom of an oiled baking dish. Brush the tops of the potatoes with oil before placing a layer of sliced eggplant on top of the potatoes. Using a spoon evenly spread the lentil mixture over the eggplant. Top this with another layer of eggplant before finally spreading the béchamel sauce on top.
Bake the moussaka at 350°f in the oven for 35-45 minutes or until the top turns golden brown. Let moussaka rest for 10-15 minutes before serving.