The combination of spices in Moussaka might surprise you but don’t worry, it doesn’t taste like pumpkin pie. This rich and fragrant Greek version of lasagna is made with eggplant and potatoes, covered with saucy lamb and beef and topped with a thick layer of béchamel.
I’m not going to lie. This dish takes a while to make. And you will have a lot of dirty dishes. So many dirty dishes. So save this one for a day when you have lots of time and enjoy the process. Taking the time to make each component without hurrying will reward you with a unique and tasty meal. Up for the challenge? Read on.
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Traditional Moussaka is made with ground lamb. And many versions do not include potatoes. I personally like the combination of beef and lamb so it isn’t as rich. You can make this with all beef or some beef and pork if you prefer. And many versions do not include potatoes. Again, it’s a personal preference but I like the texture of the potatoes in this dish.
The meat layer needs time to simmer and thicken, about an hour, so it’s best made first. Depending on the fat content in the ground meat, you may have to spoon out some of the liquid while browning. Make sure you let the meat sit long enough undisturbed to get some caramelization which helps add flavour. Once it’s well browned, add the wine to the hot pan all at once. The alcohol cooks off quickly and the wine reduces, almost to nothing. You could skip the wine but, as I always say, why would you? Then add the rest of the sauce ingredients and simmer away. Taste the sauce after about 30 minutes and decide if it needs more salt or sugar. The sugar helps balance out the acidity in the tomato sauce.
Should you peel eggplant?
Eggplant skin can be tough so peeling them, even partially is preferred. I figure it’s not worth finding out that your eggplant skin is tough after you’ve taken hours to prepare this dish. So either peel it completely or in lengthwise strips from top to bottom so you have only small pieces of skin once you slice it lengthwise.
Both the eggplant and potatoes need to be pre cooked before layering in the baking dish. Some recipes instruct you to fry the slices in olive oil. What happens though, is the eggplant absorbs all the oil. It’s like a sponge. The solution? Brushing the slices with some oil and broiling in the oven. This way you’re getting some browning and softening without them turning mushy.
Salting and laying the eggplant slices on paper towel will pull some of the moisture out to help prevent your Moussaka from being watery on the bottom. You can prep your potatoes in the time it takes for the eggplant slices to sit for about 30 minutes. Peel and slice the potatoes about a quarter of an inch thick. You can fry them in a little oil or, since you’re using sheet pans and the broiler for the eggplant, you can do the same method with the potatoes.
Spoon a little bit of the meat sauce in the bottom of your baking dish. Layer the eggplant slices over top, overlapping as necessary to evenly cover the bottom of the dish. Then lay the potatoes on top using the same method. Pour all of the remaining meat mixture over top.
Béchamel Sauce
Make the white sauce (Béchamel) by combining equal parts butter and flour. Stir over medium heat until well incorporated and bubbling. Heat milk and pour in a small amount, stirring well. Continue adding milk and whisk well until you have a smooth sauce. Lower heat slightly and watch carefully, stirring occasionally while the sauce thickens. It needs to come to a simmer so you don’t have any raw flour.
Turn off the burner and add nutmeg, salt and white pepper. White pepper just looks better in a white sauce and gives it an earthy aroma. Grate some parmesan cheese and stir it into the sauce. Separate the eggs, reserving the whites for another use while the sauce cools slightly. Whisk the yolks. Don’t add to the hot sauce all at once or you’ll have scrambled eggs. Best practice is to “temper” the eggs, meaning adding a small amount of warm sauce to the egg yolks, stirring, then adding the yolk mixture in small amounts into the warm white sauce.
Pour the béchamel sauce over top of the meat mixture. Grate some extra parmesan cheese over top. Bake in the middle of the oven for about 1 hour until the top starts to bubble and is browning. If you have a convection setting, turn to convection for the last 5 minutes or so to ensure the top is brown.
You’ll want to dig in right away but you need to let this rest for at least 15 minutes so you can serve it without it falling apart. Longer is even better, up to 30 minutes.
Make this a Greek meal and serve with Greek Salad and Olive and Onion Bread.
Opa!
Heres the recipe:
Moussaka
Ingredients
Bottom Layer
- 1 large eggplant, or 2 small
- 3 medium potatoes
- salt
- ¼ cup olive oil for brushing
Middle Layer
- 1 medium onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- ½ lb ground beef
- 1 lb ground lamb
- 2 cups canned crushed tomatoes or passata
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste
- ¼ cup red wine
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp cinnamon or 1 cinnamon stick
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- pinch ground cloves
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp sugar if sauce tastes sour
- handful fresh chopped parsley
- salt and pepper to taste
Top Layer
- ⅓ cup butter
- ⅓ cup flour
- 3 cups milk
- pinch nutmeg
- ¾ cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more for top
- 3 egg yolks
- salt and white pepper to taste
Instructions
- Prepare middle layer first. Chop onion and mince garlic. Sauté onion in olive oil in large skillet until soft. Add garlic, beef and lamb. Brown over medium heat and spoon out any extra fat. Add wine to hot skillet and scrape brown bits to incorporate flavour. Add crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, bay leaf, parsley and salt and pepper. Simmer for an hour, stirring occasionally, until flavours are well incorporated and sauce is thickened and reduced.
- Meanwhile, peel or partially peel eggplant. Slice into 1/2 inch rounds. Lay on paper towel and sprinkle with salt. Allow to sit for 30 minutes to release liquid.
- Peel and slice potatoes into ¼ inch slices. Brush both sides with olive oil and arrange on a baking sheet. Broil until starting to brown, turn and broil other side. Remove to a plate.
- Pat eggplant dry with paper towel and brush both sides with olive oil. Arrange slices on a baking sheet and broil, using same method as potatoes. Spoon a small amount of meat sauce in the bottom of a 9 x 12 baking dish and layer eggplant slices over top. Cover with layer of potatoes, spreading to evenly cover the eggplant.
- Pour meat sauce over the vegetable layer. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and ensure rack is set at middle position.
- Prepare top layer by heating flour and butter in a saucepan and stir until blended and bubbling. Heat milk and add in small amounts, whisking well until incorporated. Allow to simmer until thickened. Season with nutmeg, salt and white pepper. Remove from heat. Add grated Parmesan cheese and stir until melted. Allow to cool slightly.
- Separate 3 eggs, reserving whites for another use. Whisk yolks until smooth. Add a very small amount of white sauce to yolks, stirring well. Add yolk mixture slowly to white sauce, whisking well until blended.
- Pour sauce over meat mixture. Grate additional Parmesan cheese over top.
- Bake for 1 hour until bubbling at edges and top is browning. Use convection setting in last few minutes if desired for maximum browning.
- Allow to rest for at least 15 minutes before serving.