If the Italians have lasagna, the Greeks have moussaka. The layered dish doesn’t include pasta, but it does feature minced meat, potatoes, eggplants, and creamy béchamel sauce. It might just replace the Italian classic in your heart.
Ingredients:
- 6 eggplants
- 5 potatoes
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 750 grams beef or lamb mince
- 2 red onions, chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
- 1 tin chopped tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 glass of red wine
- 3 ½ cups milk
- 2 egg yolks
- 120 grams butter
- 120 grams flour
- 100 grams Parmigiano-Reggiano
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 bay leaf
- A pinch of cinnamon
- A pinch of nutmeg
- A pinch of sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions:
- Cut the eggplant into 1 centimeter thick slices. Season with salt and place in a colander for about half an hour.
- Rinse the eggplants with water and squeeze to get rid of the excessive water. Pat them dry and fry in oil, until nicely colored. Place the fried eggplants on paper to absorb the oil, and set aside.
- Slice the potatoes into half a centimeter pieces and fry same way as the eggplants. Season with salt and set aside.
- Put a large pan on medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Sauté the onions until softened. Stir in the mince and when it starts to brown, add the the garlic and tomato paste and sauté until the garlic starts to soften. Pour in the red wine to deglaze the pan. Add the tinned tomatoes, sugar, cinnamon, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Bring to the boil then turn the heat down and simmer with the lid on for about 30 minutes or until most of the juices have evaporated.
- Melt butter in a pan over low-medium heat. Add the flour, whisking continuously to make a paste. Pour warmed milk in a steady stream and keep whisking until it reaches the consistency of thick cream. If the sauce still needs to thicken, boil over low heat while continuing to stir.
- Remove the pan from the stove and stir in the egg yolks, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and some grated cheese. Whisk quickly and season with salt to taste. Take one spoon full of béchamel and stir it in the meat sauce, then set the béchamel sauce aside.
- Butter the bottom and sides of a large baking dish and layer the potatoes, then half of the eggplants. Pour in all of the meat sauce and spread it out evenly. Add a second layer of eggplants, top them with all of the béchamel sauce and smooth out with a spatula.
- Pre-heat the oven to 350°F. Sprinkle the moussaka with grated cheese and bake for about 60 minutes or until its crust turns light golden brown. Allow to cool before serving.
