Moussaka
This is the moussaka I made for Phyllis's 56th birthday.
Servings 8
Ingredients
Vegetable layers
- 3 medium aubergines sliced into 10mm rounds
- 4 medium potatoes peeled and sliced into 5mm rounds
- Olive oil for frying
- Salt for drawing out moisture from the aubergines
Lamb sauce
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large onion finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 kg minced lamb
- 1 glass wine red or white
- 1 tin chopped tomatoes
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- pomegranate syrup to taste
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp ground allspice
- 1 handful fresh parsley chopped
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Béchamel sauce
- 100 g butter
- 100 g all-purpose flour
- 1 litre milk warmed
- 1 pinch ground nutmeg
- 2 egg yolks beaten
- 100 g grated kefalotyri or parmesan plus extra for sprinkling
- Salt and white pepper to taste
Also
- 200 g feta cheese crumbled
Instructions
- Lay aubergine slices on paper towels, sprinkle with salt on both sides, and let sit for 30 minutes. Rinse off the salt and pat dry.
- Fry the aubergine and potato slices until golden. Set aside on paper towels.
- Heat olive oil in a pan, sauté onion and garlic until soft. Add lamb, brown it, then pour in wine. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, pomegranate syrup, cinnamon, oregano, allspice, and parsley. Season, simmer for 30 minutes, then remove cinnamon stick.
- Melt butter, stir in flour, then gradually whisk in milk until thickened. Off heat, add nutmeg, egg yolks and cheese. Season.
- Layer potatoes, then aubergines, half the lamb sauce, feta, remaining lamb sauce, another layer of aubergines, and top with béchamel. Sprinkle with cheese.
- At 200°C for about 45 minutes until golden. Let it cool, then refrigerate.
Notes
It's even better if you reheat it the following day.