Moussaka (Greek Eggplant "Lasagna")

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Moussaka is to the Greek what Lasagna is to Italians. A wealthy tomato meat sauce layered with eggplant as a substitute of pasta sheets, and topped with a thick layer of béchamel sauce, this normal Greek recipe takes time to gather – but it’s nicely value the effort.



Ingredients
EGGPLANT

  • 1 kg / 2 lb eggplant (aubergines) , 0.75cm / 0.3" thick slices
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 - 3 tbsp olive oil

FILLING

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 onion , diced (brown, white, yellow)
  • 3 garlic cloves , minced
  • 1.4 lb / 700 g floor red meat or lamb (mince) (Note 1)
  • 1/2 cup (125ml) red wine , dry (optional)
  • 14 oz /400g overwhelmed tomatoes
  • 3 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 cup (250 ml) red meat broth/stock (Note 2)
  • 1 red meat bouillon dice , crumbled (or 1 tsp powder)
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1.5 tsp sugar (any)
  • 2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon (or 1 stick, use whole)
  • 3/4 tsp salt

BECHAMEL SAUCE

  • 4 tbsp butter
  • 5 tbsp plain flour
  • 2.5 cups (625 ml) milk (any fats %)
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg, freshly grated (optional)
  • 1/2 cup (50g) parmesan cheese, grated (or Kefalotiri Cheese) (Note 3)
  • 1 egg
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1.25 tsp Vegeta, vegetable or bird inventory powder (or salt) (Note 4)
  • 1/4 tsp pepper

TOPPING

  • 1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs (Note 5)

Instructions
EGGPLANT (NOTE 6)

  • Place eggplant fairly overlapping in a giant colander. Sprinkle with a few salt. Repeat with closing eggplant.
  • Leave to sweat for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, make Meat Sauce and Béchamel Sauce.
  • Preheat oven to 240C/450F. 
  • Pat eggplant dry - make certain to do that well, otherwise it is too salty. Lay on parchment paper lined trays (you may want 3 trays, work in batches), brush with oil.
  • Bake 15 - 20 minutes or till frivolously browned and softened . Remove and set apart to cool slightly.

MEAT SAUCE

  • Heat olive oil in a giant skillet or pot over excessive heat, then prepare dinner the garlic and onion for 2 minutes. 
  • Add the meat or lamb and prepare dinner till it adjustments from pink to brown, breaking it up as you go.
  • Add wine, prepare dinner for 1.5 minutes or till alcohol odor is gone.
  • Add closing meals and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer, then decrease warmth to medium low and prepare dinner for 15 minutes, or till decreased to a thick sauce.

BECHAMEL SAUCE

  • Melt butter in a pan over medium heat. Add flour and prepare dinner for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
  • Stirring constantly, slowly upload the milk. Then stir normally for three to 5 minutes or till it thickens so that it thickly coats the again of a wood spoon (see video / step photos).
  • Remove from the range and whisk in cheese, nutmeg, Vegeta/stock powder (or salt) and pepper.
  • Allow to cool for 5 minutes, then whisk the eggs in. Cover with lid till required.

ASSEMBLE

  • Lower oven to 180C/350F (all oven types).
  • Place half the eggplant within the backside of a baking dish (I used my 26cm/9" Lodge skillet), then ideal with all of the Filling.
  • Top with closing eggplant, then pour over the Béchamel Sauce, sprinkle with breadcrumbs. 
  • Bake for 30 - 40 minutes or till golden brown. Allow to face for 10 minutes earlier than serving.


This is extreme relief meals – a low carb one!


Moussaka
As with all iconic dishes of the world, I consider that each Greek household absolutely has their very own model of Moussaka.

Well, I desire to assume they do. I actually have visions of Greek Mamas having heated debates about what makes a huge moussaka, arguing over earth shattering issues like:

beef or lamb?? (Traditionally lamb, both delicious with beef!)
potatoes in location of eggplant? (Totally fine, eggplant is simply extra traditional)
blasphemy to bake highly than fry the eggplant? (Once layered up, you can’t inform if it’s baked highly than fried but your skinny denims will thanks for it. Eggplant is a sponge for oil, my friends!)
Well, Greek Mamas may now not have such a pragramtic view because the solutions I’ve provided, but hopefully this recipe will get their nod of approval! It’s a normal recipe sourced from a Greek cookbook referred to as The Food And Cooking Of Greece which I discovered at my native library again in 2015.

Since this time, it has advanced a wee bit pursuant to different Greek cookbooks that have crossed my path, however the middle of the recipe is nonetheless very a lot the unique recipe.



Recipe Notes:
1. Meat - lamb is traditional, red meat is both delicious!
2. Beef inventory - or use hot water plus 1 further bouillon inventory dice (or 1 tsp of powder)
3. Cheese - Traditionally here's made with grated Kefalotiri Cheese that's really bought in a few giant supermarkets in Australia nowadays. But I've been making this with parmesan for years.
4. Stock powder - I like utilizing Vegeta or bird or vegetable inventory powder to flavour the white sauce as it provides further flavour than plain salt and there may be a LOT of sauce! But plain salt will do simply effective too. (I would perhaps upload a little further cheese!)
5. Panko - Panko is fully no longer Greek, it is Japanese breadcrumbs. But I nearly all of the time use panko rather of regular breadcrumbs as the items are larger so that you get method higher CRUNCH! Normal breadcrumbs fully ok.
6. Eggplant - the salting removes extra liquid so the eggplant does no longer change into soggy and make the moussaka watery as soon as assembled. Also typically eggplant could be bitter and this removes the bitterness.
Some recipes fry, I choose to bake simply due to the fact you use far much less oil. But the fastest solution to prepare dinner a giant load of eggplant like on this recipe is at the BBQ - no must salt for those who do this, simply brush with oil and prepare dinner on medium excessive 3 minutes or so on every part till softened!
7. FREEZING: Cook per recipe, then permit to cool. Cover tightly with grasp wrap then freeze. To reheat, thaw then reheat at 180C/350F for 25 minutes exposed or till a knife inserted into the centre comes out hot.
8. Nutrition per serving. Far decrease carbs than Lasagna!!