Moussaka

 

 

I was never much of a fan of Greek cuisine until my gourmand brother took me out to dine at an upscale Greek restaurant in Chicago several years back.  The moussaka was so unlike the drab, custard heavy, under-flavored,  ground meat thing that I'd gotten in diners on the East Coast.  This recipe recreates the delightful dish I had that evening in the Windy City.  It is adapted from the excellent  Mediterranean The Beautiful Cookbook by Joyce Goldstein et. al.  (The entire X The Beautiful Cookbook series is worth browsing.)

Ingredients

2.5 lbs of eggplants

 

Meat Sauce:

2 oz./60 g unsalted butter

2 medium onions chopped

4 cloves garlic minced

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1-2 tsp dried oregano

1 lb. ground lamb

1 cup tomato puree

2 tbsp tomato paste

1/2 cup (4 oz./250 ml) dry red wine

1/4 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

Cream Sauce:

2 cups whole milk (goat milk is a nice variation)

2 oz/60g unsalted butter

1/4 cup  (1.5 oz./40g) all purpose flour

1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

4 eggs

1 cup (8oz./250g) ricotta cheese 

1/3 cup grated Kasseri or Parmesan cheese

1/3 cup (1 1/3 oz./45g) fine dried bread crumbs.

 

Method

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Peel the eggplants. Slice into ~3/8" thick rounds.  I use a meat slicer which makes for accurate, reproducible slices.  I find that the thinner the slices the better as when cooked the eggplant has practically melted into the meat sauce.  This makes it easier to cut the portions and consume them. (In case you haven't figured it out from reading out other entries, I'm an unapologetic gadget guy.)  Salt both sides and cover top and bottom with paper towels. Cover with a heavy cutting board to apply some pressure and draw out the bitterness.  30" should do the trick.  Now, some people will fry the slices in olive oil but I find this makes for a very oily dish. I prefer to brush the slices lightly with olive oil and bake in a sheet pan at 400 degrees F for about 15-20", turning them over halfway through the process.  Al dente would be the perfect consistency.  Parchment paper or silicone baking mats work nicely for this technique.  Set aside to cool. 

In a large, heavy pan gently saute the onions and garlic in 2 oz. of unsalted butter until onions are translucent.  Add ground lamb and break up the meat.  Saute until the lamb loses its color.  If the lamb was  bit on the fatty side I spoon off and discard what I deem to be excess fat.  Add the spices, tomato puree, tomato paste and wine.  Cook until most of the liquid is absorbed.  Add parsley.  Salt and pepper to taste. 

Make a bechamel with the butter and flour.  Gradually whisk in warm milk to make a silky, smooth sauce until slightly thickened.  Off the heat, stir in beaten eggs, nutmeg and ricotta.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Mix the grated cheese and bread crumbs in a separate bowl.

Lightly oil a 4 quart casserole tray and sprinkle the bottom with the cheese/bread crumb mixture.  Arrange about 1/3 of the eggplant as a layer.  Pour/spread on half the meat sauce and sprinkle with bread crumb/cheese mixture.  Repeat the layers and top with any remaining eggplant slices.  Pour the cream sauce evenly over the entirety of the dish.

Bake for 45-60 minutes. Watch for even browning of the top.  Rotate tray halfway through if browning unevenly.  If browning too soon, cover with tinfoil to complete the bake.  Remove from oven, uncover and let rest for about 15 minutes.

Serve with a nice Greek wine (Xinomavro, if you can find it).  Greek wines are underrated, and with the proper guidance you can find some very reasonably priced, nice ones. 

Italian/French bread and a leafy salad round out the dinner.

Notes:

I tend to use a bit more of the cinnamon and oregano than described.  I think a little thyme also adds some nice flavor too.  Add more or less according to your taste.

Have milk, eggs, ricotta, butter and lamb at room temperature.  This makes for easier preparation.

If you're averse to lamb, substitute any ground meat-beef, pork, veal, chicken or turkey according to your taste.  Or simply omit the meat and use more eggplant if you're a vegetarian.  You'll need to adjust the spices to account for any such changes.

Do spring for high quality ricotta and Kasseri/Parmesan.  Avoid that over-salted, tasteless ricotta typically found in supermarkets.  If you even think about using pre-grated Parmesan-we can't be friends.

Alex