Greek Moussaka

Name: Greek Moussaka
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: Eggplant:; 1.5 lbs. eggplant, peeled, cut lengthwise into 1/2" slices; 1/2 cup olive oil; Beef; 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil; 1.25 lbs. ground beef (or lamb); 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon; 1/2 tsp. ground ginger; 1/4 tsp. ground allspice; Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper; 1 large yellow onion, roughly chopped; 5 cloves garlic, finely chopped; 3 tbs. tomato paste; 1 cup red wine; 1 (28 ounce) can) chopped tomatoes, drained; 2 tbs. fresh mint, chopped; Potatoes; 2 lbs. potatoes, peeled, cut lengthwise into 1/2” slices; 1/4 cup vegetable oil; Béchamel Sauce:; 5 tbs. unsalted butter; 1/2 cup flour; 2 cups milk (warm); 1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg; 3 egg yolks; 1 cup grated Romano cheese; 1 lemon, zested; 2 cups grated Parmesan cheese, divided; 1/3 cup bread crumbs

Rick M @RickM_PTC

PTC, GA.

I find Moussaka to be a small labor of love, but the result is definitely a crowd pleaser. This Greek version includes layers of potatoes, meat, and eggplant that are topped with a Béchamel (white) sauce. Each of the layers is separately cooked (hence the small labor) before being combined for the final baking. Enjoy this with a side Greek salad and a glass of wine. Opa!

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Ingredients

8 servings

Eggplant:
1.5lbs. eggplant, peeled, cut lengthwise into 1/2" slices
1/2 cupolive oil
Beef
1/4 cupextra-virgin olive oil
1.25lbs. ground beef (or lamb)
1/2 tsp.ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp.ground ginger
1/4 tsp.ground allspice
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1large yellow onion, roughly chopped
5 clovesgarlic, finely chopped
3 tbs.tomato paste
1 cupred wine
1 (28 ounce)can) chopped tomatoes, drained
2 tbs.fresh mint, chopped
Potatoes
2lbs. potatoes, peeled, cut lengthwise into 1/2” slices
1/4 cupvegetable oil
Béchamel Sauce:
5 tbs.unsalted butter
1/2 cupflour
2 cupsmilk (warm)
1/4 tsp.freshly grated nutmeg
3egg yolks
1 cupgrated Romano cheese
1lemon, zested
2 cupsgrated Parmesan cheese, divided
1/3 cupbread crumbs

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Steps

1

Season the eggplant slices on both sides with salt. Cover with a paper towel to soak up the moisture. Set aside for about 20 minutes.
2

Brown the meat in a large sauce pan over medium-high heat with a small amount of olive oil. Break up the meat as you cook and then transfer to a large strainer to drain off the liquid.
3

Add a bit more olive oil to the empty pan and then add the onions and cook until soft, about 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the tomato paste, mix this around, and cook for 1 minute.
4

Add the wine to the pan, along with the tomatoes. Bring this to a slight boil and reduce the heat to low-medium.
5

Fold the meat in and cook this stirring occasionally until this thickens a bit, about 20 minutes. Stir in the mint and season with salt and pepper and remove from the heat.
6

Heat some oil in a large skillet (cast iron is good) over medium heat. Working in batches, add the potato slices and fry until tender / lightly golden brown on both sides. Add oil if necessary. Transfer to a 9x12 baking dish or casserole dish.
7

Place the eggplant slices in the same skillet (with olive oil) on medium-low heat. Sauté them lightly on both sides, about 3-4 minutes per side. Add oil to prevent sticking or drying out. Transfer to the baking dish.
8

For the Béchamel:
Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk constantly, until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the warm milk gradually while stirring lightly.
9

Continue to heat this and whisk slowly until thickened. This will take several minutes. Season this with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Remove from the heat and let the sauce cool for a few minutes.
10

In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolks, and then add the grated Romano cheese and lemon zest and mix.
11

Fold this into the sauce pan and lightly whisk until smooth. Keep the sauce pan warm over very low heat.
12

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F while assembling the dish for baking. [Note, there will be some residual leftovers from the potatoes, eggplant, meat sauce, cheese, etc.]
13

Layer the potatoes evenly on the bottom of a large baking pan (or casserole dish). Trim the round edges for a good fit. Spoon a third of the meat sauce on top and sprinkle this with a light layer of Parmesan cheese.
14

Next layer the eggplant slices evenly on top, trim the edges, and cover with the remaining meat sauce and a light sprinkling of cheese.
15

Pour the béchamel sauce over the top and spread evenly with a large spoon. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top and add a light dusting of bread crumbs.
16

Place the dish on a baking sheet (drippings), and bake at 375˚until browned and bubbly, about 30 minutes.
17

Remove from oven and let cool completely. This process will allow the pan ingredients to congeal.
18

When ready to serve, reheat oven at 350˚ and warm the entire pan for 20-25 minutes. Use a spatula to make cuts for individual servings.