My introduction to moussaka happened on my first trip to Greece in 2000, and I've been hooked ever since (both to the dish and to Greek food in general). If you google "moussaka recipe"you'll get about a bazillion different versions of this very famous and popular dish; some use potatoes, others only eggplant, some include zucchini or other vegetables. I've tried loads of different recipes over the years and here's my favourite version, it uses mixed beans which makes it lighter and not so "meaty", but just as delicious and filling as the original. You could even try sneaking in some finely chopped vegies.
Base Ingredients:
1kg mince (lamb is the
authentic way but you can use any mince eg: pork, veal, beef, even turkey!)
two large eggplants
(or 3-4 smaller ones)
1 large jar passata
(Italian tomato sauce)
1 can of mixed beans
1/2 cup water
2 bay leaves
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon allspice
1 brown onion (finely
diced)
2 cloves garlic
(crushed)
Bechamel topping
Ingredients
100g salted butter
100g plain flour
600ml full cream milk
nutmeg
2 eggs (lightly
whisked)
Grated cheese
Make Base:
Put onions and garlic
in hot pan and sauté til tender, then add mince and brown. Add passata, beans and water, bay
leaves, cinnamon, nutmeg & allspice, stir and turn heat right down to
lowest setting. Simmer, stirring
occasionally, until all the water has evaporated and the sauce is very thick
(may take up to two hours).
Meanwhile, cook the
eggplant: slice into ½ cm slices and fry until just softened – I use the
“George Foreman” grill without any oil.
BBQ also works well and adds a nice smoky flavour.
Next, make the
topping…
Make Bechamel
topping:
Put butter and flour
into large saucepan and melt, stirring, until combined and the mixture bubbles
and changes colour. It should go
from light brown, to a cream colour, then back to a caramel colour. This takes around five minutes, keep
stirring while this happens. Add
all the milk and use a whisk to combine it together. Let it heat, whisking every minute or two, until the mixture
starts to thicken to a creamy consistency. Add eggs and whisk again, at this point the mixture should
thicken up a lot. Once that
happens, remove from heat, and add a sprinkle of nutmeg and white pepper for
flavour.
Assemble Moussaka:
Divide eggplant into
three batches, divide mince mix into two batches.
Put one layer of
eggplant on the base of a large casserole dish, then put a layer of mince on
top. Add another layer of
eggplant, and another layer of mince.
Finish with the last of the eggplant, then top with béchamel topping,
and grate some cheese over the top.
Bake in a hot oven
(180 degrees C) until brown on top, approx 25 minutes.
Disclaimer: NOT the most aesthetically pleasing dish this blog has seen, but as we know, looks can be very deceiving. Especially where food is concerned.
