Chef Charlie Redd with his Eggplant Moussaka (Photo: Susanna Bolle)

Chef Charlie Redd of Redd’s in Rozzie doesn’t take himself too seriously — at least as far as his image goes. His character goes by the name of Chef Delicious and has been known to wear a Mexican wrestler’s mask when he greets diners after their meals. It’s his dig at the notion of chef as celebrity  – and, he says, when kids are at the restaurant, they just love it.

His food has as much character as he does. Make no mistake, however, he takes his cooking quite seriously, even though the task at hand is one that he clearly relishes. Currently, one of his favorite dishes is his version of that classic Greek baked dish, eggplant moussaka.

Moussaka is a dish Redd says is fun to make, but you need to focus on getting the details right (like toasting your spices, keeping your oil hot when frying the eggplant, etc.), so that all the various flavors come through. It’s a dish that is perfect for early fall, since it makes use of an ingredient — eggplant — that’s in abundance at New England farmstands and markets right now.

Here’s the recipe…

Eggplant Moussaka by Charlie Redd (Photo: Susanna Bolle)

Eggplant Moussaka

Ingredients

5 eggplants, peeled and cut into thick slices
5 eggs
Flour, seasoned with salt and pepper
Breadcrumbs

Sauce
2 large cans tomato puree
2 onions, sliced
1/2 head garlic, peeled
extra virgin olive oil
salt, pepper, and sugar to taste
red wine
sachet (a cheesecloth bag, tied, containing the following: 2 tablespoons cumin seed (toast in a pan until fragrant, then grind); 1 tablespoons coriander seed (toast in a pan until fragrant, then grind); 2 bay leaves, fresh; 1 cinnamon stick; 2 allspice berries.

Ingredients for layering
1 pound spinach, blanched and pressed to release water
1 pound fresh mozzarella
1/2 pound feta cheese, crumbled
2 cups béchamel sauce or 1 pack Annie’s mac and cheese sauce (sounds heretical, but Charlie says he’s tried it and it works just fine)
1/4 cup grated parmesan

Instructions
1. Eggplant

Bread eggplant with seasoned flour, egg, and breadcrumbs.

Fry eggplant in extra virgin olive oil (make sure the oil is good and hot) until golden brown. Fry in batches and reserve on paper towels.

2. Sauce

Saute garlic until golden brown. Add onions, a little salt and sweat the garlic until soft. Add tomato, wine, sachet and cook for 30 minutes at a simmer. Remove sachet and save it.

Puree sauce, return sachet, check for seasoning, and cool.

3. Assembly

From bottom to top in hotel pan, layer parchment paper, sauce, eggplant, feta cheese, spinach, sauce, eggplant, mozzarella cheese, spinach, sauce, eggplant and béchamel.

Cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 30 minutes or until it begins to bubble at the edges.

When it bubbles, remove top, spread a layer of parmesan cheese, and bake uncovered until golden brown on top.

Cool for 30 minutes. Press with parchment on top of the moussaka with light weight. Serve and enjoy.

Chef Charlie Redd (aka Chef Delicious) (Photo: Susanna Bolle)