Moussaka is an eggplant- and/or potato-based dish, often including ground meat. The best-known version in Europe and the Americas is the Greek variant created in the 1920s by famous Greek chef Nikolaos Tselementes.
Ingredients
4 lb eggplant cut into slice
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion grated
2 lb ground beef (lean)
Sea salt and ground pepper to taste
1/2 cup of white wine
1 cup of tomato juice
1 Tbsp tomato paste
pinch of nutmeg
pinch of allspice
1/2 tsp of cinnamon
For the Béchamel
4 cups of milk
3 Tbs flour
3 Tbs cornflour
2 Tbs semolina
4 Tbs fresh butter softened
1 tsp sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
A little nutmeg
For sprinkling
2 cups of kefalograviera cheese (or pecorino Romano, Parmesan, Asiago)
2 to 3 Tbs breadcrumbs
1 egg yolk
Instructions
- Rinse and cut the eggplant into thin slices, sprinkle with olive oil and cook on the grill until tender from both sides.
- Heat oil in a large and deep skillet over medium-high heat.
- Sauté onion with a pinch of salt until translucent.
- Add the minced meat and cook it, occasionally stirring, until it turns brown.
- Pour the wine and cook for a further 2 to 3 minutes.
- Finally, add all remaining ingredients and cook until the liquid is absorbed; set aside.
- Heat butter in a saucepan to melt and add the flour, the cornflour, the semolina, stirring quickly with the whisk, pouring the milk, and continuing the quick mixing.
- Add the salt, sugar and as soon as the cream thickens, remove from the heat.
- Finally, put half one cup of grated cheese, one egg yolk and sprinkle with nutmeg and pepper.
- Preheat oven to 400 F.
- Grease a large baking pan and sprinkle with little breadcrumbs.
- Spread one layer of eggplants and sprinkle with cheese.
- Cover two more rows of eggplants in the same way.
- Spread a meat mixture all over the eggplants.
- Spread your béchamel sauce evenly over the meat layer.
- If you want, sprinkle the béchamel sauce with some more cheese.
- Bake for about 30 to 45 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let it cool for 20 minutes before cutting into pieces.
- Serve warm or cold.
Servings: 12
Preparation Time: 1 hour and 45 minutes
