Moussaka

Ingredients

• 3 pieces eggplant
• 500 g yellow potatoes
• 400 g ground lamb
• 1 piece yellow onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 400 g canned crushed tomatoes
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 10 cl dry red wine
• 6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 500 ml whole milk
• 50 g unsalted butter
• 50 g T55 all-purpose flour
• 1 piece egg
• 60 g grated kefalotyri
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 leaf bay leaf
• to taste ground nutmeg
• to taste fine salt
• to taste ground black pepper

Method

1. Cut the eggplant into even slices, salt lightly, and let sit until beads of moisture form; pat dry thoroughly so they roast instead of steaming.
2. Peel the potatoes, cut into rounds, and parboil in simmering water until just tender when pierced with a knife; drain and let cool slightly.
3. Brush the eggplant with olive oil, then brown in the oven or in a skillet until pliable, golden around the edges, and slightly caramelized.
4. Sauté the chopped onion in olive oil until translucent, add the garlic, then the ground lamb, and cook, breaking up the meat, until browned and no raw moisture remains.
5. Add the tomato paste, red wine, crushed tomatoes, cinnamon, bay leaf, salt, and pepper; simmer until you have a thick, glossy sauce with almost no loose liquid, then remove the bay leaf.
6. Prepare a bechamel: melt the butter, whisk in the flour until it smells toasty, gradually pour in the milk while whisking, and cook until it coats the back of a spoon; off the heat, stir in the nutmeg, pepper, some of the cheese, and the beaten egg.
7. In an oiled baking dish, arrange the potatoes, cover with the lamb sauce, add the eggplant in even layers, then top with the bechamel, smoothing the surface.
8. Sprinkle with the remaining kefalotyri and bake until the top is puffed, golden, and speckled like a gratin; let rest before slicing to get clean portions.

Nutrition

Per serving

Energy

921.9 kcal

Protein

32 g

Carbohydrate

45.43 g

Fat

66.38 g

Fibre

5.81 g

Calcium

173.65 mg

Iron

1.64 mg

Magnesium

37.13 mg