Moussaka
By á-2631
Moussaka is a layered oven casserole dish made with vegetables and meat. The most well known version of moussaka is made with layers of eggplant slices, cheese, and a meat sauce, topped with a thick béchamel sauce. This recipe stars eggplant and zucchini with the meat sauce and potatoes.
![Moussaka](/media/d2/86/4b2df332bff13e0eee95d5173bc0359b7733.jpg/rh/moussaka.jpg)
Ingredients
- 2 large eggplants, sliced 1/4 inch thick
- 2 large zucchini, sliced in 1/4 inch strips
- 2 large potatoes, sliced 1/4 inch thick
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 lb lean ground beef
- 1/2 lb ground mild sausage
- 2 onions, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (16 oz) can crushed tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 cup red wine
- Bread crumbs for bottom of casserole dish
- Bechamel Sauce
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon flour
- 3 cups whole milk
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 egg yolks
Details
Preparation time 90mins
Cooking time 150mins
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and add the potato slices. Boil for 5 minutes, drain, and rinse with cold water to prevent further cooking.
Place the eggplant slices in a single layer on paper towels, sprinkle lightly with salt, and set aside for 30 minutes to draw out the moisture. Heat a skillet over high heat, add some of the olive oil and fry a batch of eggplant slices on both sides until lightly browned. Place the slices on fresh paper towels to soak up the oil. Repeat with remaining eggplant slices followed by strips of zucchini.
In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the olive oil and brown the ground beef and sausage until no pink remains. Add the onions and garlic and continue to cook until the onions are soft, about 5-7 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, all the seasonings, and the wine. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and allow it to simmer for another 10 minutes, or almost all of the liquid is absorbed. This is important or the casserole will be too watery. Allow the sauce to cool.
Sprinkle a thin, even layer of fine bread crumbs on the bottom of the dish. Arrange a layer of slightly overlapping potatoes on the bottom of a greased 9×13 inch baking dish. Next add a layer of eggplant slices, slightly overlapping them. Evenly spread out the meat sauce on top.Top sauce with a layer of the zuchini strips followed by the another layer of eggplant slices.
Bechamel sauce
Melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and use a wire whisk to blend it with the butter. Continue whisking for another 1-2 minutes. Gradually add the milk while continually whisking to prevent lumps. Whisk until the mixture is smooth. Increase the heat to medium-high and add the Parmesan cheese. Continue whisking until all clumps have dissolved, Continue to whisk the sauce until it thickens and has simmered for about 3 minutes. Turn off heat and remove the saucepan from the burner. Allow the sauce to cool for about 20 minutes. Then whisk in the egg yolks until thoroughly blended.Top the casserole with the bechamel sauce.
Bake, uncovered, over a cookie tray to prevent spills, for 1 hour. Remove the moussaka and allow it to sit for 15 minutes before serving.
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