Pastitisio recipe please

[BlingLoving]

Right, I have searched online and found a number of variations of Pastitisio. But I need to know what is authentic. And sadly, I have yet to find a recipe in either of my favourite greek cookbooks.

DH's gran used to make it and he loves it. His sister hs made it for us once or twice, but she's very healthy and I am convinced her version is too bland - she just uses cinnamon to flavour the meat (she also tones down the bechamel, which I understand their grandmother would be horrified about, but I do understand ).

I have found this recipe which looks good, but SIL swears there should be no tomato? Any thoughts? I feel the addition of pepper, cloves, oregano etc will be good but will be interested in other thoughts.

I think a bit of cinnamon is essential tbh.... will need to think about the tomato....

(though you do realise that you will NEVER make it like his mother, don't you ?!?!)

(Sorry, his grandmother.....)

Orangina - I know, I know! To be fair, DH is always so pathetically grateful if it's even similar to hers, I do very well out of it. Mostly, he just loves the flavours that aren't as common here - meatballs with bits of mint or lots of cumin in things etc.

And while it's very sad, she died about 8 years ago and before that he'd lived away from he for about 8 years, he's forgotten exactly what stuff tastes like which works in my favour!

I am all for cinnamon, just not as the only spice/herb? Do garlic, oregano and cloves sound like a good addition?

I'm planning to give the lemon/egg/chicken soup thing a try soon too. DH luurves that stuff apparently. And I have two versions in my favourite recipe book. But if I do the chicken one I think it needs to be when I have some time.

I don't think the greeks put garlic in pastitsio, and I think they make it with beef mince, not lamb mince. But there are all sorts of regional variations etc.... is he cypriot or greek?

There is a greek meatball dish called souzoukakia which uses garlic and oregano, and it is served w tomato sauce and rice. Delicious.

Oregano sounds like a pretty staple in much Greek cooking; and my mother does a delicious greek chicken dish that includes cloves, but they are (on the whole) very specific and prescriptive as to what ingredients go in what dish (not very imaginative and they don't do "fusion"!).

Avgolemono (egg lemon soup) is DELICIOUS, but can be a bit tricky. If you can make an avgolemono sauce, then you could also do stuffed cabbage leaves with avgolemono sauce....

(feeling hungry now!)

PS: the pastitsio recipe that you linked to looks a bit BEIGE to me... so perhaps it does need a bit of tomato?!

another recipe here

Thanks Orangina. I was a bit worried about the mince and planned to use beef anyway. For convenience too.

I think I may have made souzaukakia - is that the one where you use rice IN the meatballs? I did that a few weeks ago for DH and he was in heaven.

Thanks for the recipe!

The recipe for pastisio in my 'traditional greek cooking book' uses a bay leaf and basil, as well as nutmeg in the bechamel sauce. Only 2 or 3 tomatoes. It also uses 2 cups of olive oil (boak)! I use oregano, garlic and sometimes cinnamon in mine and always make the layer of bechamel thinner.

I've never made Avgolemono as it's so tricky. DH/FIL make it perfectly and yes, it is divine. I thought soutzoukakia were just meatballs in tomato sauce - will look it up. Some recipes call for breadcrumbs in them/some rice.

Yes, souzoukakia are just meatballs, but they are very garlicky. And yes, I use breadcrumbs in them, not rice, but there are variations obviously......

And yes yes to nutmeg in the bechamel.

Next thing to do are papoutsakia. Stuffed (half and open) aubergines with bechamel on the top. My absolute favourite!

Thanks both.

Castles - I like that idea of bay leaf and basil and the nutmeg in the bechamel. Might make it less bland. And just a couple of tomatoes without making it tomatoey. Right, I'm going to give it a bash.

Avgolemono looks easy enough in terms of simple steps, but I have a feeling there's some serious skill in getting it right.

On the meatballs, I've done the ones that start with a K - where you mix breadcrumbs, and mint and onion with the mince and fry them. And then the meatballs where you add rice and then make tomatoe sauce. Both went down extremely well!

papoutsakia sound good too. Will have to check it out.

Next I need to get a good stuffed with mince peppers recipe - my book has a couple of good veggie ones but not the traditional stuffed mince ones.

And of course, in greek restaurants, none of these dishes are ever on offer. Or at least, not in London. Sigh.

Oh, and my tsatiki KICKS ASS. Seriously. I am very impressed with it if I say so myself. DH's aunt gave me a lecture on how to prepare it (translated by DH) and then one of my books had a recipe that was basically the same and I always get people being impressed with the deliciousness. It's the addition of a little vinegar that makes all the difference!

i have a greek cookbook that came from greece years ago, i can look up any recipes you may need if thats any help. also i went to a 'continental' supermarket a few weeks ago and they had a lot of the 'spice mixes' you know like you see in the shops over there? dont know if that'd help.

when i was in greece we had this pasta dish - it was like a ragu done with braising steak stuff with lots of greek type flavours. i think it was called pastisada or something, was lovely. we asked the waiter for the recipe, and he told us that you buy one of those 'spice mixes' but ill be honest i brought it home and didnt have a clue where to start and it got thrown away.

does anyone know what this was and how id make it?

Not Pastiticio as per this thread? . Pasticio is pasta, and mince and bechamal sauce and then it's a case of gettng all the flavours right.

nope - it was served like a spag bol.... (i wonder if ive made it up)

went straight to google and found this

I do love pastitsio, it's part of my greek childhood! I think they key to the mince is that it's not too wet, and that it's spicy enough. Cinnamon and cloves are a must, I add also a bit of cumin. Also, the bechAmel needs to be thick and plentiful, sometimes I make double the recommended dose so I can ensure I tall pastitsio top. In mainland Greece we use beef, never lamb, and special super big pasta that's like a thick spaghetti. I prefer to make it with penne, I think it works well.

This is a nice recipe
ellysaysopa.com/2009/02/25/pastitsio-slightly-revamped/

And there's another version, by one of my favourite Greek food blogs, lovely and authentic recipes there.
www.organicallycooked.com/2008/03/pastitsio-greek-lasagne.html

Good luck!