Watching his yiayia (grandmother) pile a mountain of pastitsio in front of him is one of Ben Bullock’s earliest memories.
“Pastitsio is perfection, as a slightly tart, spice-driven tomato sauce cuts through a rich and creamy bechamel,” Bullock, of Maylands said.
“It can be made in advance and kept in the fridge, but most of the time if, it’s made too early in the day, it’s lucky to still be there by dinner.”
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The Australian-Greek chef, who was a contestant on MasterChef Australia 2017, is part of the line-up at this year’s Perth Glendi presented by Livelighter at Wellington Square, Perth, 3-10pm, Saturday, February 27 and 11am-8pm, Sunday, February 28.
The event is set to live up to its name (glendi is Greek for party) with Greek food, plate smashing, entertainment, market stalls, children’s carnival rides and celebrity chef demonstrations.
Greek on his mother’s side of the family, Bullock said everything revolved around food in the Greek culture.
“Greek food is based on sharing and community; the dishes often come from poor, peasant traditions,” he said.
“The recipes are old and sometimes ancient, calling on time-honoured traditions and processes. Greek food is real food and it is made for eating.”
As is the problem for many, Bullock said growing older had meant he had found the kilos started to stack on a bit easier, so his food demonstrations were set to place a slightly healthier twist on some Greek classics.
“Think moussaka, packed full of fresh veggies and a mouth-watering, low-sugar baklava,” he said.
Bullock’s Auntie Rose (Kalaf), “a classic Greek cook where everything in the kitchen comes easy to her”, will assist him during the demos.
“You can show up to the house, unannounced, and within half an hour there is a three course meal laid out in front of you,” Bullock said.
“She lives to feed and I live to eat; it’s a truly winning combination.”
Tickets to Perth Glendi presented by Livelighter must be pre-booked in line with current regulations at perthglendi.com.au.
BEN BULLOCK’S PASTITSIO (beef and pasta bake) RECIPE
Serves 12
Preheat oven at 180C or 160C fan forced
INGREDIENTS
Meat sauce
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 brown onions, chopped finely
1 garlic clove, crushed
1kg beef mince
1 can (410g) crushed tomatoes
1/3 cup (85g) tomato paste
1 tsp. mint, chopped
1/4 cup (65ml) dry red wine (optional)
Salt and pepper
Spaghetti
500g spaghetti
1 tsp. salt
Bechamel cheese sauce
4 tbsp. butter
3 tbsp. plain flour
3 cups milk, warmed
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
3 eggs
To assemble
1/2 cup of additional grated cheddar cheese
METHOD
Meat sauce
Drizzle olive oil to coat frypan. Fry chopped inions until transparent with garlic.
Add mince to frypan, and stir until it is browned.
Stir crushed tomatoes, paste, mint and wine if preferred. Season with salt and pepper.
Simmer the meat uncovered for 20 minutes or until thickened.
Spaghetti
Cook spaghetti in a large saucepan of boiling salted water until al dente and drain.
Bechamel cheese sauce
Melt butter in a medium saucepan. Add flour and cook until mixture bubbles and thickens.
Remove from heat and gradually stir in warmed milk until sauce thickens. Stir in cheese and mix until smooth.
Whisk eggs one at a time and add to sauce. Season with salt and pepper.
To assemble
Grease an oven-proof dish (dimensions 35cm length, 24cm width and 7cm depth).
Spread ½ of the cooked spaghetti over the base of the dish. Add 2 tbsp. of the cheese sauce. Then add all the meat sauce.
Top with the remaining spaghetti followed by the cheese sauce. Smooth and sprinkle with additional cheese on top.
Bake pastitsio for 1 hour or until golden brown. Stand 10 minutes before serving.
Tips
Any other type of pasta such as penne, fettuccini, linguini or bucatini can be substituted.
Additional spices such as 1 tsp. of ground nutmeg or cinnamon may be added to the meat sauce, if preferred.
Pastitsio may be made the day before, stored in the refrigerator and cooked the next day.