Description
Hearty Greek lamb moussaka brings layers of comfort and Mediterranean charm to dinner tables. Savory spiced lamb, creamy béchamel, and golden eggplant create a soul-warming dish you’ll crave again and again.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 6 eggplants
- 5 potatoes (optional)
- 750 grams (26 ounces) beef or lamb mince
- 1 tin (400 grams / 14 ounces) chopped tomatoes
Aromatics and Seasonings:
- 2 red onions (chopped)
- 2 cloves of garlic (chopped)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 glass of red wine
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 pinch of cinnamon or 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 pinch of sea salt
- 1 pinch of freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pinch of nutmeg
Sauce and Cheese Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 900 milliliters (31 fluid ounces) milk
- 120 grams (4 ounces) butter
- 120 grams (4 ounces) flour
- 2 egg yolks
- 100 grams (3.5 ounces) Parmigiano-Reggiano or Kefalotyri or favorite hard cheese
- Vegetable oil (for frying the eggplants)
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Prepare aubergines by slicing and salting, allowing moisture to draw out for 30 minutes. Rinse thoroughly and pat dry with paper towels.
- Heat olive oil in a skillet and fry aubergine slices until golden brown and crispy. Remove and set aside on a paper towel-lined plate.
- Optional step: Slice and pre-cook potatoes by frying or baking until lightly golden.
- In the same skillet, sauté onions until translucent, then add minced garlic and ground lamb. Cook until meat is browned and crumbly.
- Introduce tomato paste, red wine, chopped tomatoes, sugar, cinnamon, bay leaf, salt, and pepper to the meat mixture. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes, allowing flavors to meld.
- Prepare bechamel sauce by melting butter in a saucepan, then whisking in flour and cooking for 2 minutes to create a roux.
- Gradually pour warm milk into the roux, whisking continuously to prevent lumps. Cook until sauce thickens and becomes smooth.
- Remove sauce from heat and incorporate nutmeg, beaten egg yolks, and grated cheese. Stir until well combined.
- Assemble the moussaka in a baking dish by layering potatoes, aubergines, and meat sauce. Repeat layers for complexity.
- Pour bechamel sauce evenly over the top layer, ensuring complete coverage.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for 1 hour until golden and bubbling.
- Allow moussaka to rest for 15 minutes before serving, which helps set the layers and intensify flavors.
Notes
- Salt aubergines beforehand to remove bitterness and excess moisture, ensuring crisp and flavorful layers.
- Pat aubergines completely dry after salting to achieve perfect golden-brown texture when frying.
- Use high-quality ground lamb with moderate fat content for rich, juicy meat sauce that doesn’t become greasy.
- Create consistent vegetable and meat layers by cutting ingredients to uniform thickness for even cooking and elegant presentation.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 32 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Greek
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 522 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 320 mg
- Fat: 32 g
- Saturated Fat: 13 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 17 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 27 g
- Fiber: 6 g
- Protein: 29 g
- Cholesterol: 110 mg