Day 97 - Roadtrip through Atherton Tablelands, South of Cairns - Greek Moussaka

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I'd been told for some time the Atherton Tablelands, an area south of Cairns, is another must-see region in north Queensland. With promises of amazing mountain views, lush green scenery and natural waterfalls, this sounded like a great excuse for an afternoon road trip.

A new local mate of mine ("Mat") was up for it as well.

One of my observations of Aussies, in general, is that many of them haven't seen that much of their own country. Several of my Sydney mates hadn't seen a number of the things I'd seen or visited in my first few months in Oz; similarly in Mat's case, he's been in Cairns for 4 years ... and still hadn't ventured through the Tablelands. In all fairness, it did take me while after moving in Toronto to go visit the Niagara Falls ... and they're one of the Wonders of the World! Toucher.

Quick history and summary of landscape: The Atherton Tablelands were formed after millions of years of volcanic activity (a dormant volcano still exists at Atherton's highest point). Consequently, the Tablelands' volcanic soils provide the nutrient-rich grounds necessary for the local farming, and allow the area's natural rainforests to flourish.

(Moooooo!)

Driving south towards the Tablelands from Cairns, we took a winding road up through the hills. The weather was fantastic, with great visibility to take some amazing pictures at look-out points along the way.

After several stops along the way (I couldn't help stop taking photos of cows ... apparently you can take the boy out of the Maritimes, but you can't take the Maritimes out of the boy), we began searching for several of the area's famous natural waterfalls. We had time to visit three of these, although there are many many more. Below, me before taking a (cold) dip in the waterfall (hey, I didn't fly halfway around the world not to "take the plunge", even if the water is a little cold ...).

On the drive back north to Cairns, we passed by several of the region's banana fields which were hit heavily by Tropical Cyclone Larry in early 2006 (which has resulted in bananas costing upwards of $12+ per small bunch).

Mat does a lot of international travelling, and we got to talking about other countries / cultures and how many of these have immigrated in large numbers to Australia. Melbourne, for instance, has the world's second largest concentraion of Greeks (outside of Athens). Talking about this made me miss my Greek buddy Bob back home. Back in Cairns, and famished, we headed out in search of Greek food.

There is a Greek restaurant in Cairns with a large sign out front: "Go Fettas!!" (which is funny on an inside-joke level for Bobby and I). I'm never had Moussaka before know it's one of the Greeks' signature dishes. Its recipe is a little involved, but worth the effort to serve to a tablefull of dinner guests / loved ones.

Opa!

Ingredients:

For the eggplant and potatoes:

2 large eggplants, sliced into 1/4-inch thick rounds

2 large potatoes, peeled and slice into 1/4-inch rounds

SaltPepperOlive oil

For the lamb-tomato sauce:

1 pound ground lamb

1 large onion, medium diced

2 tablespoons minced garlic

SaltFreshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 bay leaf

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1 cup red wine

4 cups tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced

For the Bechamel:

4 tablespoons butter

4 tablespoons flour

4 cups milk

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/4 cup lemon juice

3 egg yolks

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

SaltFreshly ground black pepper

To Finish:

3/4 cup breadcrumbs

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped

2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

Directions:

For the Eggplant and Potatoes: Season the eggplant and potatoes with salt and pepper. Add 1/2 inch of oil to a large skillet and heat. When the oil is hot, fry the potato slices, flipping once, until golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Remove the potatoes to a paper towel lined plate. Replenish the oil so there is still 1/2 inch in the bottom of the pan. Fry the eggplant slices in the oil, flipping once, until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Add more oil as necessary. Remove the eggplant from the pan and place on a paper towel lined plate.

For the Lamb Tomato Sauce mixture: Place a sauti pan on the stove over medium high heat. When the pan is hot, add the ground lamb. Sauti the ground lamb for 2 minutes, until it begins to turn brown. Add the onions and garlic and sauti for 5 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Drain off any excess fat from the pan. Season the mixture with oregano, bay leaf, cloves and cinnamon and cook for 3 more minutes. Deglaze the pan with red wine. Cook over medium high heat until the red wine has reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes. Cook, stirring occasionally until the mixture is a thick tomato sauce consistency, about 30 minutes. Check for seasoning. Remove from the heat and cool completely.

For the Bechamel: In a saucepan, melt the butter. Add the flour to make a roux. Cook the roux over medium heat for 3 or 4 minutes, or until it becomes a very pale tan color. Slowly add the milk, whisking constantly. Add the nutmeg and the lemon juice. Simmer, stirring constantly, over low heat for 15 minutes. The mixture should be fairly thick. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs together. Take 1/2 cup of the hot milk mixture and whisk it into the beaten eggs. This will temper the eggs. Whisk the egg/milk mixture back into the milk mixture. Add the Parmesan cheese and stir. Over very low heat, cook this mixture for 3 more minutes. Be careful not to let the mixture simmer. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and cool.

To finish: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Sprinkle the bottom of a 9x13 inch-baking dish with 1/4 cup of breadcrumbs. Place a layer of the eggplant over the breadcrumbs. Place a layer of the potatoes over the eggplant. Place 1/2 of the lamb tomato sauce mixture over the potatoes. Spread 1/3 of the bechamel sauce over the lamb mixture. Top the bechamel with another layer of eggplant and another layer of potatoes. Top with the remaining lamb mixture. Place one more layer of eggplant and potatoes over the lamb mixture. Top with the remaining bechamel. Sprinkle with the remaining breadcrumbs and the Parmesan cheese. Place in the oven and bake for 45 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. Remove from the oven and let sit for 10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with mint and parsley.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings