Eye Fillet Moussaka - Chef Recipe by Natalia Gaspari

Ingredients

Sweet Potato Chips:

3 cups tapioca
2 cups water
1 tsp sea salt
1 small sweet potato
Canola oil for frying

Xinomizithra and Halloumi Custard:

250g grated xinomizithra
250g grated halloumi
8 whole eggs
1 tsp nutmeg
1 cup grated feta
1 tsp sea salt
2/3 cup corn starch
1/2 tsp fresh cracked pepper

Eggplant Skordalia:

2 eggplants
3 cloves garlic, microplaned
30mL black tahini
20mL lemon juice
50mL extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp sea salt

Beef Glaze for Eye Fillet:

1kg beef bones
400m red wine
1/2 bunch parsley stalks
1 bunch thyme
10 peppercorns
1 celery stalk
2.5L water
100mL Metaxa Brandy

4 large pieces (250g each) grass-fed eye fillet
Sea salt and pepper to taste

Method

Sweet Potato Chips:

Peel the sweet potato and cut into small pieces. Transfer the potato and water into a food processor and blend until smooth and pale.

Remove and press through a sieve.

Transfer the liquid sweet potato into a bowl and whisk in the tapioca starch and sea salt.

Mix well, layer into a food steamer and steam for about 12 minutes.

Set aside for at least an hour to dry.

Once dry, fill a medium pot with canola oil and fry each chip for about 90 seconds. Set aside to dry.

Xinomizithra and Halloumi Custard:

Preheat oven to 170 C.

In a food processor, blend feta, xinomizithra and halloumi until smooth and creamy.

Transfer into a bowl and add remaining dry ingredients and mix well.

Add eggs and gently fold into mixture.

Transfer to a baking dish and bake for about 20 minutes until custard is fully set and firm.

Set aside to cool. Once cool, cut into rounds of 6 cm in diameter.

Eggplant Skordalia:

Char grill eggplant until soft inside and hard skin outside.

Peel and allow to cool. When cold, place in a food processor, add garlic, lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil and start blending. When smooth add black tahini and sea salt.

Mix well and set aside.

Beef Glaze:

Place beef bones in a baking dish and roast at 200 C until both sides are totally cooked and start darkening in colour.

Remove from oven, add wine and brandy. Scrub the side of the tray until you get everything from the bottom.

Pour cooked bones and liquid into a pot, add remaining ingredients, spices, herbs and water.

Boil for about two hours, remove and strain.

Pour back into pot and reduce by a third, until sauce is thick enough. Set aside.

Eye Fillet:

Season eye fillet with salt and pepper. Cook on a char grill for about two and half minutes each side on a high temperature, so all juices stay in the meat.

When ready, set aside on a rack for a minute.

To Serve:

Choose the right plate!

Place a big spoon of the eggplant skordalia on the plate, top with eye fillet and pour over 2 tablespoons of the beef glaze. Add a round of custard and then top with another teaspoon of skordalia.

Place sweet potato crisp on top.