Name: Moussaka omelette
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 90 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 70 ml olive oil; 1 onion, finely chopped; 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped; 1 fresh bay leaf; 1 cinnamon quill; 150 gm lean minced lamb; 100 ml dry white wine; 100 gm canned crushed tomatoes; 2 kipfler potatoes (about 60gm each); 6 eggs, lightly beaten; To serve: Kewpie (Japanese) mayonnaise, coarsely grated kefalograviera and chopped flat-leaf parsley; Pickled eggplant; 1½ tbsp olive oil; 2 small Japanese eggplants, cut into 2cm-thick rounds; 50 ml white wine vinegar, such as chardonnay; 25 gm brown sugar; 2 cloves; 1 star anise

“This idea came from when I was in Gazi late at night and there was a guy who just made omelettes,” says Calombaris. “He’d make them with all sorts of things like meatballs or loukaniko or vegetables. So I thought I’d do mine with moussaka. At our Gazi, we serve it with crisp fried onion rings.”

Ingredients

70 ml olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 fresh bay leaf

1 cinnamon quill

150 gm lean minced lamb

100 ml dry white wine

100 gm canned crushed tomatoes

2 kipfler potatoes (about 60gm each)

6 eggs, lightly beaten

To serve: Kewpie (Japanese) mayonnaise, coarsely grated kefalograviera and chopped flat-leaf parsley

Pickled eggplant

1½ tbsp olive oil

2 small Japanese eggplants, cut into 2cm-thick rounds

50 ml white wine vinegar, such as chardonnay

25 gm brown sugar

2 cloves

1 star anise

Method

Main

1.For pickled eggplant, heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat, add eggplant and turn occasionally until browned (4-5 minutes). Add remaining ingredients, season to taste and simmer, stirring occasionally, until eggplant is tender (5-6 minutes). Set aside.

2.Heat 30ml olive oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat, add onion, garlic, bay leaf and cinnamon and stir occasionally until onion is tender (5-6 minutes). Add lamb and stir, breaking up with a wooden spoon, until evenly browned (6-7 minutes). Deglaze pan with wine and simmer until almost reduced (1 minute). Add tomato, season to taste and simmer until thick (1 minute).

3.Meanwhile, cook potato in a small saucepan of boiling salted water until tender (15-20 minutes), drain and set aside to cool, then dice and set aside.

4.Heat grill to high. Heat 2 tsp of remaining olive oil in a 12cm-diameter ovenproof frying pan over medium-high heat, add quarter of the diced potato and stir occasionally until golden (2-3 minutes). Add quarter of the lamb mixture and stir to combine. Reduce heat to low, add a quarter of the eggs, season to taste and cook for 1 minute. Place pan under grill (not too close to the heat) and cook until just set (1½-2 minutes). Transfer omelette to a plate and keep warm. Repeat with remaining ingredients to make 3 more omelettes. Serve hot topped with pickled eggplant and Kewpie mayonnaise (onion rings optional), then scattered with kefalograviera and parsley.

Drink Suggestion: 2009 Karydas Xinomavro, Naoussa. Drink suggestion by Andrew Phillpot
Notes

George Calombaris

Styling by Emma Knowles

Ingredients

Method

Main

Related stories