Recipes

Moussaka

Cuisine: Greek

Type: Casserole

Serves: 8

Source:	All Recipes magazine
Attributes:	Book
Comments:	We tried a couple of moussaka recipes this year, since we had an abundance of eggplant from the garden. This one, was the best. This recipe takes several hours to prepare, so read and plan ahead.
Serving Suggestions:

Ingredients:

For the béchamel:

1/2 cup butter
6 tbs. flour
4 cups whole milk, warmed
3/4 tsp. kosher salt
3 egg yolks, beaten

For the meat sauce:

1 tbs. olive oil
1/2 cup grated onion
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1-1/2 pounds lean ground beef
3/4 tsp. ground allspice
3/4 tsp. sugar
3/4 tsp. kosher salt
3/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, plus more for garnish
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, plus more for garnish
1 egg while, lightly beaten

For the eggplant:

3 pounds eggplant, sliced lengthwise into 1/2 slices
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tbs. olive oil
1-1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions:

1. Make the béchamel sauce: Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour until a smooth paste forms. Lower heat and gradually pour in warmed milk, whisking constantly, until sauce thickens, about 4 minutes. Stir in salt. Remove from heat and let cool, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes. Whisk in egg yolks.

2. Meanwhile, make meat sauce: Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Add garlic, cook one minute more. Increase heat to medium-high and add ground beef. Cook, stirring, until browned and crumbly, about 5 minutes. Stir in allspice, sugar, salt, pepper, and cinnamon.

3. Stir in tomato sauce and bring to a simmer. Cook, uncovered, until excess iquid has evaorated and mixture appears very thick, about 30 minutes. Stir in parsley and remove from heat. Let cool 15 minutes. Stir in egg white.

4. Prepare the eggplant: Preheat oven to 400°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.

5. Arrange eggplant slices on a ddouble layer of paper towels. Sprinkle both sides with salt. Let stand 30 minutes, until liquid beads on surface. Pat dry with paper towels, wiping off any excess salt.

6. Arrange eggplant on prepared baking sheet and brush with oil. Roast until tender and just golden, about 30 minutes.

7. Reduce oven to 375°F. Grease a 3-quart baking dish. Arrange half the eggplant slices in dish. Top with meat sauce and 1/3 of the Parmesan. Cover with remaining eggplant and sprinkle on another 1/3 of the Parmesan. Pour béchamel over the top and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.

8. Bake until set and golden, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Let stand 10 to 15 minutes before slicing and serving. Garnish with black pepper and chopped parsley,

Related recipes:

None