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Home Dish Greek Moussaka

Greek Moussaka

Name: How to cook Greek Moussaka - cookcic.com
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Us

Introduce

Chef :

Rick M

Greek Moussaka

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!

Ingredient

Food ration :

8 servings

1.5

lbs. eggplant, peeled, cut lengthwise into 1/2" slices

1/2 cup

olive oil

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

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

lbs. potatoes, peeled, cut lengthwise into 1/2” slices

1/4 cup

vegetable oil

5 tbs.

unsalted butter

1/2 cup

flour

2 cups

milk (warm)

1/4 tsp.

freshly grated nutmeg

egg yolks

1 cup

grated Romano cheese

lemon, zested

2 cups

grated Parmesan cheese, divided

1/3 cup

bread crumbs

Cooking instructions

* Step 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.

* Step 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.

* Step 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.

* Step 4

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

* Step 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.

* Step 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.

* Step 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.

* Step 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.

* Step 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.

* Step 10

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

* Step 11

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

* Step 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.]

* Step 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.

* Step 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.

* Step 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.