Last week, I mentioned that I was on a family holiday with the in-laws, frolicking among fluffy sheep on the fields of England. Here are some nice pictures of us with baby animals and baby humans:

The other thing that happened was that we went to the Dartmoor Diner in Plymouth, a cozy, quaint little restaurant by the side of the road that leads into Dartmoor National Park, a windswept expanse of rolling hills, heather, and grazing farm animals. The Dartmoor Diner is amazing. It has big windows overlooking the moors, wooden tables and chairs, and, like all diners worth their muster, a counter full of desserts as big as your head by the entrance. Their desserts are no joke, and if anything are even bigger, more decadent versions of classic dinner sweet fare. As we walked past, I ogled a sky-high lemon meringue tart, a dark, thick wedge of fudgy chocolate cake, and a Maltesers pavlova brimming with candy, chocolate, and caramel. As good as the desserts looked, however, nobody even managed to get one, as we were stuffed after our meal. The Dartmoor Diner food is hearty, filling, comfort British food – full of casseroles, pies, and roast meats. Being near the ocean, there was also a substantial seafood section with fish cakes and fried shrimp. 

I went for the classic fish and chips. There are foods that I absolutely must get when in certain countries, and fish and chips in Britain is one such example. This past trip, I had fish and chips twice! Now – you are thinking – the title and the pictures of this post are for moussaka. Why is this crazy lady babbling on about fish and chips?! Well, the answer is that while I was very happy with my meal, and very delicious and fresh that it was, I nevertheless suffer hopelessly from food envy, and my mother-in-law’s moussaka was singing a siren song. As good as fresh fried fish is, it is nevertheless not an ooey, gooey meat casserole. There is something endlessly comforting about a casserole in any form, with its bubbling, oozing cheese and its layers of hot, steaming, multifaceted goodness, its browned top crust and squishy interiors. It may sound crazy, but the way that my mind works is that I could not stop thinking about that moussaka! And so, as soon as I got home, as soon as I could, I made one all for myself.

Moussaka is fairly labor intensive, and requires a lot of prep and simmering. I would definitely save it for a lazy Sunday! But you can also make an incredible amount of it to eat through the week. In all my obsession about moussaka, I might have gone overboard – I made enough for four (FOUR!) meals for both James and me, and we ate it for dinner straight through from Monday to Thursday. I may have gotten my moussaka fix for the next six months. Anyway, I’m not sure that this moussaka is the most authentic, but it is a flavorful, comforting, warm blend of meat, spices, eggplant, and potato that comes out of the oven with bubbling juices and crisp, cheesy edges.

Some Notes:

• Eggplant skin on or off? I don’t mind the skin, and I like the texture in moussaka, as it provides some chew against the mushiness of the rest of the dish. However, some find that the skin can make the moussaka too bitter. It’s really a matter of preference whether you peel the eggplant or not; you can also peel off some skin and leave some on for compromise.
• I used lamb, but if you don’t like the flavor, you could use a mix of lamb and beef, or even all beef.
• I don’t know if potato is traditionally used, but I like it; feel free to skip the potato if you prefer.
• I added zucchini because the Dartmoor Diner version did; I think this addition is rather frivolous and not authentic at all; feel free to skip it.

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Moussaka

Source: Bobby Flay and BBC Food

Ingredients

Meat Sauce:

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 pound ground lamb
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ginger, finely minced
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 1 zucchini, thinly sliced and quartered (optional)
• 5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 cup red wine
• 1 (28-ounce) can chopped or pureed tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 bay leaves

Bechamel Sauce:

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup flour
• 2 1/2 cups milk
• 1 bay leaf
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 3 egg yolks
• 1 lemon, zested

The Rest of the Moussaka:

• 2 pounds eggplant (about 2 medium globe eggplants)
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 pound Yukon gold or Russet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced (1/8-inch to 1/4-inch thick)
• 1 cup grated Romano cheese

Instructions

For the meat sauce:

• Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large saucepan (at least 5 quarts) over medium-high heat. Add lamb, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, cayenne, cumin, and salt and black pepper. Cook, stirring to break up the meat, until browned, about 5 minutes. It's ok if the meat is still slightly pink inside; you just want to brown the outside for now. Transfer lamb to a strainer and drain the juices; also discard any liquid left in the pan. Return the pan to the heat, add remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil, and heat until it begins to shimmer. Add onions and zucchini, season with lots of salt and black pepper, and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.
• Return the lamb to the pan, add the wine, and cook, stirring occasionally, until wine is almost completely evaporated, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, oregano, and bay leaves, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 30 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if needed. Remove from heat.

Prepare the eggplant and potatoes:

• While the meat sauce is simmering, prepare the eggplant. Preheat oven to 400°F. Cut the eggplant into 1/4-inch slices. Brush each side with olive oil and season liberally with salt. Roast on a baking sheet for about 20 minutes, flipping the disks halfway through, until eggplant is softened and golden brown.
• Put a large pot of water on to boil. When water has boiled, add the potato slices and cook for about 5 minutes. You want the potatoes to be softened on the outside, but still undercooked in the middle - they will finish cooking when the assembled dish is baking. Drain potatoes in a colander under cold running water.

Make the bechamel:

• Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and cook, whisking constantly, until mixture is pale and smooth, 1-2 minutes. Still whisking constantly, pour in milk slowly. The mixture will appear to seize up and thicken dramatically at first, but keep adding milk and stirring, and the sauce will loosen. Add bay leaf and cook until thickened, 4-5 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg and discard the bay leaf. Let sauce cool for 5 minutes.
• Whisk together egg yolks and lemon zest in a small bowl. After the bechamel has cooled for 5 minutes, whisk egg and lemon zest mixture into the bechamel sauce until smooth.

Assembly:

• Preheat oven to 400°F. Spread about one-third of the meat sauce in a 3-quart casserole dish, then top with half of the eggplant slices and half the potato slices. Repeat the layers with another third of meat sauce and the remainder of eggplant and potato slices. Top with the remainder of meat sauce. Pour the bechamel over the top and spread evenly with a spatula. Sprinkle the Romano evenly over the top. Place the dish on a baking sheet and bake until browned and bubbly, about 45 minutes.
• If you can (I couldn't), let cool for about 20 minutes before serving - this will help the juices reabsorb into the dish and result in a less watery moussaka when you cut into it.

We have been eating a lot of pork lately! The way I decide what to make usually goes like this… Jackie procrastinates by perusing food blogs and food magazines… Jackie is sucked in by some yummy looking food photos or tasty food description… Jackie obsesses over this recipe for the rest of the day/week until Jackie can procure the ingredients and get to cookin’… And that’s how I found myself salivating over these crispy, fatty carnitas tacos topped with spicy slaw and fresh avocado! I’ve actually made these tacos before, about three years ago, right when James and I first met. He was away in London visiting family when I made them, and I remember sending him a picture of my finished product, extraordinarily proud of the flavor and tenderness I’d coaxed from the pork meat. He sent back a sad face emoji, and some complaint along the lines of “why you making such delicious food without me?!” and I knew it was true love, because he knew that the way to my heart was endless praise of my cooking.

Now, I’ve finally gotten around to making these again, this time with James in the country, and they were every bit as good as I remember. The pork simmers down flavorful and succulent, with the citrus adding a bright, zesty zing to complement the richness of the meat. The slaw is crunchy, fresh, and spicy from the onions and serrano peppers. It’s a refreshing topping for the tacos, but I also add another scoopful as a side and eat it all on its own.

These carnitas focus on a few, quality ingredients. Use fresh everything (don’t even think about bottled lime juice), and let them cook slowly. The meat braises in the water bath to tenderize, and then, once the water cooks off, it fries in its own rendered fat, resulting in crisp, browned edges. The carnitas need a long time to cook, but other than the time factor, they are relatively hands off. The slaw is fairly easy as well (if requiring a blender or food processor), so you can easily get other Sunday jobs done while checking in on the kitchen every once in a while. You could, conceivably, even make these on a weeknight if you can get off early from work, are somehow incredibly masochistic, and don’t mind eating dinner after 8 PM. How do I know? Confession – I did exactly that. I meant to make these on Sunday, but was having too much fun, or napping too much, or went out to watch BlacKkKlansman (YES!! Please watch this movie – it’s amazing!), or… something, and didn’t manage to make any dinner that day. Oops. Anyway, this is a roundabout way of saying that I made these on a weeknight (because I could not stop my obsession – see above), but no sane person should.

However, for the chilly fall Sunday that will inevitably pop up, when the sky outside is grey and dark, these tacos will bring all the color and cheer of the tropics into your kitchen. This recipe is also great for a dinner party, as it makes a ton of tacos with relatively minimal effort from you. I’d say the carnitas recipe would make enough for at least 12 tacos, as written; I see no reason why you couldn’t also scale the recipe up. The slaw recipe will definitely provide enough slaw to dress 12 tacos, with likely also a scoop for everyone on the side. Warm some tortillas, add some avocado slices, chopped cilantro, onion, and tada! Taco parties are the best parties.

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Carnitas Tacos

Source: Smitten Kitchen, where it was adapted from The Homesick Texan Cookbook

Ingredients

• 3 pounds boneless pork shoulder or pork butt, cut into 2-inch cubes
• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (from about 2 to 3 limes)
• 4+ cloves garlic, peeled and crushed (I think I used maybe 7?)
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• For serving: Green onion cabbage slaw (recipe below), corn tortillas, avocado slices, chopped cilantro, or other fixings of your choice

Instructions

• Place the pork in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot. Add the orange juice, lime juice, garlic, cumin, salt, and enough water to just barely cover the meat. Most of the meat should be covered, but it's okay if the tips stick out - they will still cook in the steam. Bring the pot to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer uncovered for two hours. Don’t touch the meat.
• After two hours, increase the heat to medium-high. Occasionally stirring and turning the pieces of meat, continue to cook for about 45 minutes, or until all of the liquid has evaporated, leaving only the rendered pork fat. Let the meat sizzle in this fat until it browns at the edges, turning pieces gently (to prevent them from falling apart) to brown the other side.
• When pork has browned on both sides, it’s done. Add seasonings to taste, if necessary. Serve on warmed tortillas with a scoop of slaw and desired fixings.

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Green Onion Cabbage Slaw

Source: Smitten Kitchen, where it was adapted from Bobby Flay

Ingredients

• 1 cup green onions, coarsely chopped (I used about 1 1/2 bunches)
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 2 serrano chiles
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• 1 head purple cabbage, finely shredded
• 1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves (I upped the cilantro because I love cilantro; for less cilantro flavor, use 1/4 cup)

Instructions

• Blend green onions, vinegar, chiles, mayonnaise, oil, salt, and pepper in a blender or food processor until emulsified. Place cabbage and red onions in a bowl, add the dressing, and toss until combined. Fold in the cilantro and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Notes

The purple cabbage is hardy, and thus holds up fairly well to the dressing. We ate slaw that had already been dressed the second day as leftovers, and it wasn't too watery or soggy. However, the flavor and crunch is always best if you mix the cabbage/onions and dressing together just before serving, and mix just enough for the meal of that day.

While James was reading my blog a few weeks ago (as he is my most loyal reader and proofreader), he mentioned that maybe I talk about him too much. So I went back and read some recent posts, and realized that maybe he is right?? So then I actively tried not to do that. I wrote about the food or the ingredients, or why I chose certain recipes, or other friends. But it was impossible not to mention James! Our tastes and preferences have been slowly, subconsciously merging over the past few years, and James’s likes now influence and inspire so much of what I (we) make. In discovering how much James crops up on this blog, though, I’ve come to realize that perhaps I have been underestimating the role that James plays in our kitchen life.

I think that, as a feminist living in a brave new 21st century world, I’m sometimes embarrassed by how much I love cooking and baking, because of the historical connotations. There are definitely times when I feel like a clichéd trope of a wife, bustling around in my apron and timing everything to get dinner on the table just as James comes home. To be clear, I am not disparaging or devaluing in any way any person (male or female) who chooses to focus on the household in place of formal employment, or who chooses to focus on the household as their formal employment. But these days, when the opportunities and identities available to women are more abundant, varied, and exciting than ever, from entrepreneur to movie director to presidential candidate, it’s hard to feel like I’m breaking the glass ceiling when I’m just doing in my own kitchen what women have been doing for centuries in their own kitchens, usually by obligation and very infrequently by choice.

So sometimes I project my discomfort about this particular identity onto James, when he gets home late or doesn’t help enough around dinnertime. I get anxious that James isn’t pulling his weight and we’re reverting back to traditional gender roles. But writing this blog has given me a completely new sense of how much of a presence and support James is, even though he may not be physically chopping up the carrots or stirring the risotto. He’s always interested, and he always takes me rambling on about the correct way to wash produce or the necessity of using up the celery in the fridge very seriously. Even though I do most of the cooking, he holds a number of indispensable supporting roles – as sous chef, dish washer, deputy grocery shopper, feedback provider, moral supporter, and trouble shooter. And for all of that, I’m very grateful. In short, I’m afraid chitter chatter about James is here to stay! Skip to the pictures and recipes if you don’t like the commentary!

Speaking of pictures…

The justification for the above philosophizing is that today’s recipe, cottage pie, is as British as James. You may be confused, and thinking, what is cottage pie?? Well, you may know it as its more common cousin, shepherd’s pie. However, there is actually a difference between the two, and that’s in the meat: shepherd’s pie contains lamb (which makes sense: shepherds… lambs), and cottage pie contains beef! So, what is commonly labeled as shepherd’s pie here in the U.S. is a misnomer – it’s actually cottage pie. Cottage pie is delicious British comfort food, a rich, meaty stew of minced beef, carrots, celery, and onions, stewed with plenty of herbs and spices, and topped with a creamy, cheesy mash of potatoes. It’s so unbelievably good, and freezes wonderfully, which means you can double the recipe and freeze one for later, or gift one to busy friends and neighbors. When our friends Rupa and Dave had a baby, James and I brought them a frozen cottage pie, and felt both very adult, and very suburban, toting over a meat pie.

Cottage pie is fairly straightforward to make, and requires only some basic ingredients and food preparation, but it is rather time intensive – with softening the vegetables, simmering the beef mixture, then baking the final assembled dish, just the total cooking time can take up to an hour and 45 minutes. You also have to prepare two separate components – the beef mixture and the potato mash, which is sort of annoying. Thus, it’s not really appropriate for  the weeknight. James and I usually make it on a slow Sunday, or, we divide the work over two days – we make the beef mixture on Sunday, then make the potato mash and bake it on Monday. This also has the advantage of letting the beef mixture cool entirely and thicken a little, which prevents the potato mash from sinking into the gravy.

Other Notes:

• This recipe is easily scaled up if you want extras, or want to freeze a portion. This recipe below is actually half of the original BBC recipe, which serves a whopping 10 people. Likewise, you can also scale down if you want, although why you would do that, I have no idea – it is so good, and keeps getting better the next day!
• In a hurry, we’ve definitely not simmered the beef mixture for long enough before adding the potato mash on top. If your beef mixture is too soupy, the potato mash will sink into the liquid during baking, as the gravy bubbles up (the potatoes will end up resembling icebergs instead of ice floes). Your pie will still be delicious, but the mash will just be soggier and won’t have as much of that crisp, browned top crust. But don’t worry – the potatoes won’t dissolve into the gravy and turn the whole thing into thick potato soup, as I feared!
• For prettier presentation, or if you’re making this over two days, we assemble the dish in a baking dish, as instructed in the recipe. If we’re just making the whole thing in one day, I often cook the beef mixture in a 5 1/2 quart Dutch oven and assemble the dish directly in the Dutch oven, spooning the potatoes on top of the beef. If you go the latter route, know that due to the slightly smaller surface area supporting the potatoes, the potatoes are also more likely to sink. This is okay, and will still be delicious (see above bullet point).

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Cottage Pie

Source: BBC Good Food

Ingredients

• 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 large carrots, chopped
• 2 celery sticks, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 1 1/2 tablespoons flour
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1/3 cup red wine (optional)
• 1 3/4 cups beef stock
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 5-7 thyme sprigs
• 2 bay leaves

For the Potato Mash:

• 2 pounds potatoes, peeled and chopped into large pieces (I used Russets; Yukon Gold will also work well)
• 1/2 cup milk (I used 2%, which I liked; use whole for a richer mash)
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 3 1/2 ounces strong cheddar, grated (or more to taste)
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Instructions

• Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, and cook the beef until browned. Once browned (it doesn't have to be fully cooked through), scoop up the beef with a slotted spoon and set aside.
• Add a little more oil into the pan if it's looking dry, and add the onion, carrots, and celery. Cook over medium-low heat until soft, about 15-20 mins. Add the garlic, flour and tomato paste, increase the heat to medium and cook for 2-3 minutes more, then return the beef to the pan. Pour in the wine, if using, and boil for 2-3 minutes to reduce it slightly. Add the stock, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, and bay leaves. Bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for about 45 mins. The beef mixture is done when most of the liquid has evaporated and the sauce becomes thick, like the consistency of gravy, and coats the meat. Check after about 30 mins: if a lot of liquid remains, increase the heat slightly to help reduce the gravy. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if desired, then discard the bay leaves and thyme stalks.
• As the beef mixture simmers, make the potato mash. Place potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold salted water by 1 inch. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until tender, about 10-15 minutes. Drain well, then allow the potatoes to steam-dry for a few minutes. While you're waiting, preheat the oven to 400°F. Mash the potatoes with the milk, butter, about 3/4 of the cheese, and the nutmeg. Taste, and season with salt and pepper if desired.
• Spoon beef mixture into a 12"x8.5" baking dish. Spoon the potato mash on top of the beef to cover. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top (add more cheese, if desired). Bake in the oven at 400°F for 25-30 mins, or until the topping is golden brown and the gravy is bubbling at the sides.

Notes

 

To Freeze:

Assemble the pie with the beef and the potato mash, and cool completely. Once cool, cover well with cling film and freeze. For the best preservation, always freeze the pie on the day that you make it. To eat, defrost in the fridge overnight, then cook as per the recipe. Alternatively, to cook from frozen, heat oven to 350°F, cover with foil and cook for 1 1/2 hours. Increase oven to 400°F, uncover and cook for 20 minutes more, until golden and bubbling.