Main

Moussaka (Greece)

Name: Moussaka (Greece)
Total time: 95 min
Yield: serves 6
Ingredients: 2 Eggplant; 2 Potato; 3 tbsp Olive oil; 1 Onion; 2 cloves Garlic; 500 g Ground beef; 3 Tomato; 1 tsp Cinnamon; 40g Butter; 40g Flour; 500ml Milk; 1 Egg

Preparation time: 1 h 35
Servings: serves 6

Ingredients

serves 6

Eggplant — to buy2
Potato — to buy2
Olive oil — to buy3 tbsp
Onion — to buy1
Garlic — to buy2 cloves
Ground beef — to buy500 g
Tomato — to buy3
Cinnamon — to buy1 tsp
Butter — to buy40g
Flour — to buy40g
Milk — to buy500ml
Egg — to buy1

Preparation

Cut the eggplants and potatoes into slices about 1 cm thick, brush both sides with olive oil and lightly salt the eggplant slices to draw out some of their bitterness.
Grill or pan-fry them for 5-6 minutes per side, until tender and lightly coloured. Set aside on paper towel.
Cook the onion and garlic in the oil for 4-5 minutes over medium heat, until translucent, then add the ground beef and brown it for 6-8 minutes, breaking it up with a spoon.
Add the chopped tomato and cinnamon, season with salt and pepper, and simmer covered for 20-25 minutes over low heat, until you get a well-reduced, fragrant sauce.
Make the béchamel: melt the butter in a saucepan, add the flour and whisk for 1-2 minutes to form a roux, then pour in the milk little by little while whisking constantly until it thickens.
Off the heat, quickly stir in the beaten egg, whisking hard: this is what lets the béchamel set properly and hold together when baked, almost like a custard.
In a baking dish, layer the potatoes, eggplants and meat sauce, pressing down lightly on each layer to avoid air pockets.
Finish with the béchamel spread evenly on top, bake for 35-40 minutes at 180°C until the top is nicely golden and slightly puffed, then let it rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing: moussaka holds together far better warm than piping hot.

Main

Moussaka (Greece)

Preparation time: 1 h 35
Servings: serves 6

Ingredients

serves 6

Eggplant — to buy2
Potato — to buy2
Olive oil — to buy3 tbsp
Onion — to buy1
Garlic — to buy2 cloves
Ground beef — to buy500 g
Tomato — to buy3
Cinnamon — to buy1 tsp
Butter — to buy40g
Flour — to buy40g
Milk — to buy500ml
Egg — to buy1

Preparation

Cut the eggplants and potatoes into slices about 1 cm thick, brush both sides with olive oil and lightly salt the eggplant slices to draw out some of their bitterness.
Grill or pan-fry them for 5-6 minutes per side, until tender and lightly coloured. Set aside on paper towel.
Cook the onion and garlic in the oil for 4-5 minutes over medium heat, until translucent, then add the ground beef and brown it for 6-8 minutes, breaking it up with a spoon.
Add the chopped tomato and cinnamon, season with salt and pepper, and simmer covered for 20-25 minutes over low heat, until you get a well-reduced, fragrant sauce.
Make the béchamel: melt the butter in a saucepan, add the flour and whisk for 1-2 minutes to form a roux, then pour in the milk little by little while whisking constantly until it thickens.
Off the heat, quickly stir in the beaten egg, whisking hard: this is what lets the béchamel set properly and hold together when baked, almost like a custard.
In a baking dish, layer the potatoes, eggplants and meat sauce, pressing down lightly on each layer to avoid air pockets.
Finish with the béchamel spread evenly on top, bake for 35-40 minutes at 180°C until the top is nicely golden and slightly puffed, then let it rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing: moussaka holds together far better warm than piping hot.