Description
Discover how to make delicious Moussaka and Pastitsada recipes with our step-by-step guide. Perfect for a taste of Greece in your own kitchen!
Ingredients
- 6 eggplants
- 5 potatoes (optional )
- Vegetable oil (for frying the eggplants)
- 750 g beef or lamb mince (26 oz (737 g))
- 2 red onions (chopped)
- 2 cloves of garlic (chopped)
- 1 tin chopped tomatoes (400g / 14oz (397 g))
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) sugar
- 1 glass of grape juice
- Pinch of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- 3–4 whole cloves (optional )
- A pinch of cinnamon or one cinnamon stick
- 1/4 of a cup olive oil
- 900 ml (3 3/4 cups) milk (31 fl.oz)
- 120 g butter (4 oz (113 g))
- 120 g flour (4 oz (113 g))
- A pinch of nutmeg
- 2 egg yolks
- 100 g Grana Padano or Kefalotyri or your favourite hard cheese (3.5 oz (99 g))
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Begin by handling the eggplants. Cut off their stalks and slice them into rounds, about 1 cm thick. Sprinkle with salt and let them sit in a strainer for around 30 minutes.
- Wash the eggplants thoroughly and press out the excess water using your hands. Dry them and fry in ample oil until they turn a nice color. Place the fried slices on paper towels to soak up the oil. (For a healthier variation, drizzle the eggplants with olive oil and bake them for 20 minutes instead of frying.) Set them aside after cooking.
- If including potatoes, slice them into pieces about 0.5 cm thick. Fry or bake them similarly to the eggplants. Salt them lightly and set aside.
- Move on to the meat sauce. Warm a large pan over medium-high heat and pour in the olive oil. Add the chopped onions and cook until they soften and gain a bit of color. Add the minced meat, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, and cook. When it begins to brown, add garlic and tomato paste, cooking until the garlic softens. Pour in grape juice to deglaze, allowing it to evaporate. Add chopped tomatoes, sugar, cinnamon, bay leaf, cloves, and a generous amount of salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover, and let simmer for about 30 minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated. Set aside.
- For the béchamel sauce, melt butter in a large pan over low-medium heat. Add flour, whisking steadily to form a paste. Gradually add warmed milk, continuing to whisk to avoid lumps. If needed, boil on low heat while stirring until thickened to a creamy consistency.
- Take the béchamel off the heat and mix in egg yolks, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and most of the grated cheese, reserving some for later. Whisk swiftly to prevent the eggs from scrambling. Adjust salt to taste. Mix a spoonful of béchamel into the meat sauce and set aside.
- Time to assemble: Use a large baking dish (around 20x30cm and 8cm deep). Grease the bottom and sides. Add a layer of potatoes first (if using), then half the eggplants. Spread all the meat sauce evenly over the top. Be sure to remove cloves and bay leaf. Add another layer of eggplants, then cover with the béchamel sauce, smoothing it with a spatula.
- Sprinkle the remaining grated cheese on top. Preheat your oven to 180C/350F and bake the moussaka for approximately 60 minutes until the top is light golden brown. Though tempting, allow the moussaka to cool to a warm temperature before slicing. This will help the béchamel stay intact when cutting.
- Pair the Moussaka with a crisp Greek Salad and enjoy it with a glass of wine!
Notes
- Try baking the eggplant slices with a drizzle of olive oil for a lighter option.
- Remove the bay leaf and cloves from the meat sauce before assembling the moussaka.
- Customize the cheese topping with hard cheeses like Grana Padano or Kefalotyri.
