1 lb Macaroni
4 tb Butter
8 oz Cyprus Halloumi cheese;
- grated
1/4 ts Cinnamon
1 ts Dry mint; crushed
1 ts Fresh mint; finely chopped
Salt and freshly milled
- black pepper
3 Eggs; lightly beaten
MEAT SAUCE:
1 lg Onion; finely chopped
1 cl Garlic; crushed
2 tb Vegetable oil
1 lb Minced meat (lamb/pork or
- beef)
1/4 pt Dry white wine
1/4 pt Stock or water
1 ts Tomato puree
3 Chopped peeled tomatoes
2 tb Breadcrumbs
2 tb Flat leaf parsley; chopped
Salt and freshly milled
- black pepper
BECHAMEL SAUCE:
3 tb Butter
3 tb Flour
1 1/4 pt Milk
1 3/4 oz Halloumi cheese; grated
2 tb Bread crumbs
Salt and freshly ground
- pepper
1 Egg; lightly beaten
1/4 ts Nutmeg
Preheat the oven to 190 C/375 F/Gas Mark 5. Cook macaroni in a
large pan of boiling salted water for 5-7 minutes until just
tender. Drain in a colander and rinse under cold running water to
cool and return to pan. Melt butter until golden brown and pour
over macaroni. Add Halloumi cheese cinnamon, mint, salt and pepper
to taste and toss well. Leave to cool for 1 minute. Add egg and
toss again. Keep aside.
Now prepare the meat sauce. Heat the oil in a large pan, add the
onion and garlic and fry for 2-3 minutes until softened. Increase
the heat and add mince-meat. Stir well and cook until meat begins
to brown. Add remaining meat sauce ingredients and simmer over
gentle heat for 20 minutes.
Next prepare the bechamel sauce. In a small saucepan heat the milk
just before boiling point and set aside. Melt butter in a medium
saucepan, stir in flour and cook gently for 2 minutes. Add the
warm milk little by little, stirring well after each addition with
a wooden spoon, to prevent the formation of lumps. Bring to the
boil and continue boiling gently for 1 minute.
Add Halloumi, 1 tablespoon bread crumbs, salt and pepper to taste
and cool a little before stirring in beaten egg. Add 3 tablespoons
of bechamel sauce to the cooked meat sauce and mix well.
In a well-buttered oven dish of 30x20 cm / 11x8", line the bottom
with half the macaroni and spoon the meat sauce evenly on top.
Cover with remaining macaroni levelling top. Pour on bechamel sauce
and spread to completely cover macaroni. Sprinkle with grated
Halloumi cheese, nutmeg and remaining bread crumbs on top and bake
for 45-50 minutes until golden brown. Serve hot or cold.
TASTES OF CYPRUS
www.cosmosnet.net
Argiris (Gary) Zias
