Greek Moussaka
Though Moussaka doesn’t origin in Greece, it became the best known of all Greek dishes. Authentic Moussaka is a casserole made with ground lamb and eggplant covered with a thick layer of béchamel sauce. The latter is quite tricky to master. Alternatively, try a combination with Kleftiko, a lamb dish baked in parchment paper. It’s easy to prepare, fun to eat, and has a rich Moussaka flavor.
Ingredients
Shopping list
- 1 lb ground meat lamb or beef recommended
- 1/2 large eggplant cut lengthwise into thin 1/4 slices
- 1/2 lb large potatoes cut lengthwise into thin 1/4 slices
- 2 tbsp red wine
- 1 cup diced tomatoes fresh or from can
- 1 cup grated cheese of your choice
- 1 lettuce of your choice
You might have
- 1 small onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 orange for juice
- 2 tbsp butter
- flour
- 1 cup milk
- 1 egg
- olive oil
- salt & pepper
Culinary Spice Kit
- Black pepper,thyme, cinnamon, bay leaves
Instructions
Prepare
- In a BOWL, add eggplant and a pinch of salt. Cover with cold water. Let rest for 15 minutes. Drain and dry the eggplants with kitchen paper.
Fry Step 1
- In a PAN, heat 2 tbsp olive oil over medium heat.
- Fry potatoes in several batches until all potatoes are almost cooked, but not brown. Careful! It is important that you don't brown the potatoes!
- Fry dried eggplants in several batches until they turn slightly brown.
Fry Step 2
- In the meantime, in another PAN, heat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium heat.
- Add meat, onion, garlic, Moussaka Spices, and salt to taste.
- Stir-fry until meat is crumbled.
- Add wine and cook over medium heat until all liquid is absorbed.
- Add tomatoes and 1/4 cup water and cook over medium heat until all liquid is absorbed.
Prepare Sauce (shortly before baking)
- In a POT, melt 2 tbsp butter over low heat.
- Stir in 2 tbsp flour.
- Slowly stir in 1 cup of milk.
- Quickly stir in 1 egg.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Bake
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- In a BAKING DISH, place single layers in this order:
- - potatoes
- - sprinkle with salt & pepper to taste
- - eggplants
- - sprinkle with salt & pepper to taste
- - meat
- - cheese
- If you use a small BAKING DISH, you can repeat the layers.
- Pour sauce over Moussaka layers.
- Bake in oven for 40-60 minutes until the milk-egg-mix has set and the top turned slightly brown.
Salad
- Mix 3 tbsp orange juice, 1 tbsp oil, salt & pepper to taste. Toss over lettuce.
- Enjoy!
Marceline Reid-Jaques
2022-12-14
Karen Jones
2022-12-05
Wonderful, flavorful meals using readily available ingredients!
ann davis
2022-11-29
My daughter gave me a subscription as a Christmas present while our families were quarantining together. It was so much fun! It introduced us to several cuisines that were totally new to us. The recipes were easy to follow and the spices were transformative - fresh and pungent and delicious.
Jessica Brown
2022-05-22
The best way to try new dishes!