Greek Lamb Moussaka

Aubergine (eggplant) is one of my favourite vegetables. 

I first tasted it in the mid-1960's when my best friend (Nuccia) in high school shared her lunch with me. It was the best, weirdest vegetable I had tasted. Basically, it was two slices of aubergine, in the middle was a slice of mozzarella cheese, and it was battered in flour, egg and breadcrumbs, and fried. OMG so delicious! I have been eating aubergines (eggplants) ever since that day.

As delicious as this fried gem sounds, that is not what I am going to share with you today. It is early February here in the UK and today and next week we are going to have a good spell of lower temperatures, max temps of 4-5C and lows of 0C. So today was the perfect day for a hearty meal like moussaka.

Moussaka, What is it?

As with other recipes that have survived generations and crossed borders, you will not be surprised there are a few variations of Moussaka. Basic moussaka can be an aubergine or potato based, minced meat dish or it can be a totally vegetarian affair, replacing the meat with lentils and chickpeas. The dish is popular in the Eastern Mediterranean region, with many local and regional variations.  It is served hot, warm, room temperature and cold, depending on the country.

This version of Moussaka which I am going to share is from Greece. The recipe involves three (3) separate layers, cooked before combining for the final bake. Grilled aubergine, cooked minced lamb and a top layer of Bechamel sauce. This moussaka recipe has 6 layers: aubergine, meat, aubergine, meat, aubergine, and finally Bechamel sauce.

Are you ready? then let's cook.

INGREDIENTS:

Aubergines (eggplant):

1/2 cup olive oil
3-4 medium aubergines, sliced

Meat Sauce:

2 large onion, finely chopped
4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1.5 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp dried oregano
500g minced lamb (or turkey my preference)
500ml Passata
2 tablespoons tomato paste
150ml red wine
3 anchovies
black pepper
2 bay leaves
2 tsp fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
1 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

Bechamel Sauce:

90g unsalted butter
1/3 cup plain flour
2 cups milk
2/3 cup pecorino cheese, grated
2 eggs, lightly beaten
Sprinkling of nutmeg

METHOD:

You can make this recipe all on the same day, or if you don't want to spend half the day in the kitchen you can prepare the aubergines and the meat a day before.

Prepare the Aubergines

1. Cut the aubergines into 1cm slices. Spread out onto a tray covered with paper towel, and sprinkle with salt. Stand for 30-50mins. Soak up the moisture on top of aubergines with a paper towel. Cover your grill tray with aluminium foil, spread out the aubergine on the grill tray and brush with olive oil. Grill until golden brown, turn over and repeat.

Prepare your meat sauce

2. Into a large frying pan put 2 tbsp olive oil and cook the onion on medium-high heat until soft.  Add the garlic, cinnamon and oregano and cook for a further couple of minutes, then stir in the lamb.  Turn up the heat slightly, and brown the lamb well, cooking until the mixture is quite dry.  Stir in the passata, tomato paste and wine.  Add bay leaves, anchovies, black pepper, and bring to a simmer, then turn the heat down low and cook for at least 50 minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated, (if it is evaporating faster add some water).  Check flavour and season, if needed, then stir in the mint and parsley. 

Prepare the Bechamel Sauce

3. In a saucepan heat and melt the butter, stir the flour into the butter. Stir over low heat for 2 mins. Add milk gradually to the pan, stirring until smooth. Stir over medium heat for 5mins or until mixture boils and thickens. Cook for another 1min, then remove from heat. Beat in the eggs, then stir in the cheese until melted. Salt to taste and add a sprinkling of nutmeg, or more if you wish.

Layering

4. Arrange a third of the aubergines in the base of an oven dish, and top with half the meat. Repeat these layers, then finish off with a layer of aubergine, and top with the sauce.

Bake on 180C (or 160C fan forced) for about 45 minutes until well browned, and then leave to cool for 15-30mins before serving.  Serve with greens or a salad.

kalí órexi - enjoy your meal!