Moussaka
No doubt moussaka is the flagship of the Greek cuisine. It is believed that this dish was developed in the 1920s by the legendary Greek chef Nikólaos Tselementés. This dish is built originally of three layers that are separately cooked before being combined for the final baking: a bottom layer of sliced potato, eggplant or zucchini sautéed in olive oil; a middle layer - ragu of ground lamb lightly cooked with chopped or puréed tomatoes, onion, garlic, and spices (cinnamon, allspice and black pepper); and a top layer of Béchamel sauce. In our version we are going to give up the potatoes. The eggplants and zucchini will be baked in the oven. In addition we will use minced beef instead of lamb. All these changes will produce a lighter version of moussaka.
1 big eggplant
2 zucchinis
olive oil
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Ragu:
1 red onion
3-4 cloves garlic
½ tsp. cinnamon
pinch ground cloves
black pepper
½ Kg (1 lb 2 oz) minced beef
3 ripe tomatoes
5 tbsp. tomato paste
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Béchamel:
100 g (3½ oz) butter
½ cup white flour
750 ml milk
½ tsp ground nutmeg
black pepper
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 egg yolks
Preparation time: 3 hrs.
Difficulty level: Medium-up
Servings: 6
Ingredients
Preparation
We start with the eggplant. Slice it lengthwise into 0.5cm thick slices. Sprinkle some salt on the slices and set them in a colander for 30 mins, then wash and dry. This step is needed to take the bitterness out off the eggplant.
Meanwhile preheat the oven to 200°C (390°F). Brush the eggplant slices with olive oil and arrange them in a 30x25cm (12"x10") baking pan and bake for 20 mins. Meanwhile slice the zucchinis lengthwise into 0.5cm slices and brush with olive oil. After 20 mins add the zucchini slices to the eggplant and bake for another 20 mins.
Now we move on to the beef ragu. Thinly chop the onion. Preheat a deep pan or a wok. Add 3 tbsp. olive oil and add the onion. Sauté for 3 mins while stirring from time to time.. Slice the garlic cloves thinly and add to the onion. Continue stirring and add all the spices except salt. Add the meat and continue stirring and breaking the meat into very small chunks. Sauté until the meet starts to turn brown.
Grate the tomatoes with a coarse grater, leaving all the skin out and add them to the meat. Add the tomato paste, 1/2 cup water and salt to taste. Reduce the heat to medium low and cook until the liquids evaporate and the mixture is solid (about 30 mins). You can prepare up until this point in advance and keep in the fridge. Just let it reach the room temperature before you go on.
The last layer is the Béchamel sauce. Heat the milk in a sauce pan until it is almost boiling. Heat another pan over medium fire and melt the butter. When the butter has melted add the flour, while constantly wisking. Mix the flour with the butter and then gradually add the milk. Add each time a small amount and wisk until it is absorbed completely. Continue this procedure until all the milk is incorporated into the mixture. When the mixture starts bubbling, remove it from the heat. Add the spices and the cheese and mix well. Finally add the yolks and mix.
Now it's time to put everything together. Remove the zucchinis from the baking pan, leaving the eggplants layer. Pour the ragu, then arrange a layer of zucchini, then the Béchamel. Finally sprinkle some grated Parmesan or Feta cheese. Bake in 200°C (390°F) until the Béchamel gets a nice brown color (about 30 mins). Remove from the oven and let it stabilize for at least 30 mins before cutting it into servings.
Moussaka can be prepared a day in advance and kept in the fridge. Heat it up in the oven before serving.