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Moussaka is Greece's best-known baked dish: layers of eggplant, a cinnamon-spiced meat sauce and a thick béchamel topping. It takes time, but most of the work can be done ahead, and it is often even better the next day.
Serves: 6 | Prep: 45 min | Cook: 80 min plus 20 min resting
Ingredients
- 3 large eggplants
- Olive oil for brushing
- 500 g minced beef or lamb
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 400 g chopped tomatoes
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 glass dry red wine
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- Salt and pepper
- 60 g butter
- 60 g plain flour
- 700 ml milk
- 2 eggs
- Pinch of nutmeg
- 100 g grated kefalograviera or kefalotyri
Method
- Slice the eggplants 1 cm thick, salt them and leave for 30 minutes. Rinse and pat dry.
- Heat the oven to 200°C. Brush the slices with olive oil and roast on trays for 20 minutes until soft and golden.
- Soften the onion and garlic in olive oil, brown the mince, deglaze with the wine and add tomatoes, tomato paste and cinnamon. Simmer for 30 minutes until thick and season.
- For the béchamel, melt the butter, stir in the flour, whisk in the milk and cook until thick. Off the heat, beat in the eggs, nutmeg and half the cheese.
- Lower the oven to 180°C. Layer half the eggplant, all the meat sauce and the rest of the eggplant in a baking dish. Pour over the béchamel and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
- Bake for 45 to 50 minutes until golden, then rest for 20 minutes before cutting.
Tips
- Roasting the eggplant instead of frying it keeps the moussaka lighter.
- Do not skip the resting time, or the béchamel will run when you cut it.
- For a potato layer, add 2 thinly sliced, roasted potatoes at the bottom.
Products from Bakaliko
- Kyknos - Chopped Tomatoes 400 g
- Zanae - Tomato Paste 200 g
- Kagia - Grated Nutmeg 10 g
- Bafas - Kefalograviera from Epirus 300 g