Moussaka is a dish that can be found in many parts of Europe and the Middle East. It can be prepared in a variety of ways, depending on the area, but nearly all recipes call for eggplant as the primary ingredient, according to Cooking in Plain Greek.
Introduced to the Western world in about 1500 AD, eggplants were originally kept as ornamental plants because they were thought to be poisonous.
The modern Greek moussaka has elements from many different cultures, especially the bechamel sauce borrowed from French cuisine. The quintessential Greek comfort food, a good moussaka is a hearty meal sure to please with all of the lamb, cheese, and spices inside.
Moussaka can be even better the next day, so make it ahead!
Ingredients
8 garlic cloves, finely grated, divided
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped mint, divided
2 tablespoons chopped oregano
3 medium eggplants (about 3 1/2 pounds total), sliced crosswise into 1/2-inch thick rounds
2 1/2 teaspoons salt, plus more
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more
2 pounds ground lamb
2 medium onions, chopped
1 3-inch cinnamon stick
2 Fresno chiles, finely chopped
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon tomato paste
3/4 cup dry white wine
1 28-ounce can whole, peeled tomatoes
Bechamel sauce
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups whole milk, warmed
3/4 teaspoon salt
4 ounces farmer cheese, crumbled (about 1 cup)
2 ounces Pecorino or Parmesan, finely grated (about 1 3/4 cups), divided
3 large egg yolks, beaten to blend
Instructions
For the eggplant and lamb, preheat oven to 475 degrees.
Whisk together half the garlic, half a cup of olive oil, 1 tablespoon mint, and 1 tablespoon oregano. Brush around both sides of the eggplant rounds, covering well. Season with salt and pepper. Place eggplant slices into a rimmed baking sheet. Roast them until brown, about 35-45 minutes. Reduce your oven to 400 degrees.
Meanwhile, make the meat sauce: Heat the rest of the olive oil in a large, wide pot over high heat. Cook the lamb until brown, breaking it up as you go. Strain the fat but save 3 tablespoons.
Heat 2 tablespoons of the lamb fat in the same pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, cinnamon stick, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and 2 1/2 teaspoons salt. Cook until onions are translucent. Add chiles and remaining garlic into the mixture, scraping the bottom of the pot. Add tomato paste and paprika and cook everything until it reaches a uniform red color, about a minute. Add the wine and cook until reduced, about 3 minutes. Add tomatoes, gently breaking them up with a wooden spoon. Add lamb, remaining mint, and oregano and cook into a thick meat sauce, about 5-7 minutes. Discard the cinnamon stick.
Bechamel and final assembly
Heat butter in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat until it foams. Add the flour, whisk constantly for about 1 minute. Whisk in the warm milk and bring to a boil. Cook until it becomes the consistency of pudding, about 5 minutes. Then, add salt.
Remove the mixture from heat and whisk in farmer cheese and half of Pecorino. Let the cheese melt.
Add the egg yolks, whisking until golden yellow.
Brush a 9×13" baking pan with the last of the lamb fat. Layer half the eggplant along the bottom. Spread half the lamb sauce over the eggplant. Repeat with the last two halves of each mixture. Top everything with the bechamel and smooth over. Sprinkle remaining Pecorino cheese over the top.
With assembly completed, bake in the oven for about 30-45 minutes, until it is bubbling vigorously. Let it cool 30 minutes before serving.