Lebanese potato souffle

This dish is the Lebanese version of the shepherd pie. It is made of 2 layers of mashed potatoes with meat and pine nuts stuffing in between, then covered with our bread crumbs or pounded kaak. I remember when my kids used to come from school, they would recognize this dish from its distinguished smell.

Prep. time: one hour

Cooking time: 30 mins

Serves: 6 to 7

INGREDIENTS:

7 medium potatoes

2 tsp. salt

3 tbsp. butter

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup cooking cream

400 grams ground beef

1 tbsp. oil

1 large onion chopped

3 to 4 tbsp. pine nuts

3/4 tsp. allspice

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

1 cup pounded kaak

PREPARATION: Peel the potatoes and cut into pieces, put them in a large cooking pot. Add water,1 tsp. salt and let them cook for 25 mins. or until well done. At the meantime prepare the stuffing.

Heat the oil fry the pine nuts over low heat until light golden, add the chopped onions and stir for few mins until tender. Add the ground beef, 1 tsp. salt, the allspice and the cinnamon until well done. Now drain the potatoes, smash them while still a bit hot with a potato masher or an electric hand blender. Add 2 tbsp. of butter, the milk and the cream, mix again until blended all together very well. Grease an oven tray with butter then sprinkle enough pounded kaak to cover the bottom of the tray.

Put half of the mashed potatoes, spread the first layer using a spoon dipped in a small bowl of cold water. It makes it easier and faster to make the layer. Now spread the stuffing all over it then top it with the second layer of mashed potatoes. Scatter the pounded kaak to cover the top then distribute the rest of butter all over. Bake at temperature of 400 degrees for 25 to 30 mins, then 5 mins from the top or until golden.

Serve it in 10 mins. from baking, it makes it easy to cut and it is delicious with lettuce salad tossed with lemon and oil. I hope you will give it a try one day, it is easy to prepare and it is yummy.

ENJOY !!!