Greek Night, Part 2

For the second installment of the Greek Night series, we've got a recipe for a traditional entrée called moussaka. Moussaka is a Greek eggplant-based dish. It is arguably the best-known dish among Greek food enthusiasts and is a staple in most Greek restaurants. Its complex flavors will add a spark to your dinner, and although the process is time-consuming, it will be more than worth it in the end.

Ingredients

2 Eggplants

½ lb Yellow potatoes

1 lb. Ground beef

1 large Onion, finely diced

2 cloves Garlic, finely chopped

1/8 cup Fresh parsley, finely chopped

3/4 cup Tomato puree

1 tbsp Tomato paste

1/3 cup Red Wine

3/4 tsp Sugar

1/2 tsp. Ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. Ground allspice

Salt and pepper to taste

1 cup Plain breadcrumbs

4 egg whites

1 cup Parmesan cheese (grated)

~ 2 tbsp Olive oil, (enough to coat a large sauce pan)

Bechamel Sauce:

½ cup Salted butter

2 cups Milk

4 egg Yolks

½ cup Flour

Pinch of Nutmeg

Process

Let me preface this by saying it helps to have somebody helping you with this one; it can be rather time consuming.

Vegetables

Slice the eggplant into thin strips. Salt both sides of each piece and place in a colander while applying pressure to force out the liquid within and set in the sink for 20 minutes or so, the longer the better but any more than an hour is not necessary.

Peel the potatoes and place in a pot of boiling water. Cook them until they are just becoming soft but not all the way done. Drain the water and set aside to cool. Slice them ¼ inch thick. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Separate the yolks from the egg whites and set the yolks aside – you will use them for the Bechamel sauce. 

Line a baking sheet with foil. Pour the breadcrumbs onto a plate. Dip a slice of eggplant into the bowl of egg whites and then cover in the breadcrumbs; place on the baking sheet when both sides are covered. Repeat with the rest of the eggplant. Cook in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Flip each slice and cook for another 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside. Lower the temperature of the oven to 350 degrees.

Meat

In an olive oil lined large sauce pan on medium heat, sauté the ground beef.  Add the onions when the beef has all browned. When the onions have become translucent, add the garlic. After about a minute, add the red wine. Once the wine has completely absorbed into the meat, add the tomato puree, tomato paste, parsley, cinnamon, allspice, and sugar. Let it simmer for 10-15 minutes and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Bechamel Sauce

Melt the butter on low heat in a medium sauce pan. Once fully melted, add the flour and whisk until a paste, or roux, is formed. Add the warmed milk and whisk until fully combined.

Simmer until hot but not quite boiling. Remove from heat and add egg yolks. Stir until combined. Return the pan to the heat and simmer until the mixture thickens.

Assembly

Grease a deep baking dish and coat with breadcrumbs. Layer the bottom of the dish with the sliced potatoes. Layer half of the eggplant on top of the potatoes. Evenly spread the meat mixture onto the eggplant and coat with half of the parmesan cheese. Cover with the remaining eggplant. Pour the Bechamel sauce over the top and the sides of the dish.

Cook in oven for 40-45 minutes, until the top layer is golden brown. Let it sit for about 20 minutes before slicing and serving.

Taste Test

Moussaka is very complex, both in flavor and texture. The Bechamel sauce is very light and fluffy. The meat is very balanced with the wine being the predominant flavor. The onions added a subtle crunch to the mixture as well as good flavor. The potatoes added richness and the eggplant’s soft texture was fantastic. The eggplant is definitely the star! Its flavor completely rounded out the entire dish.

Leftover Quality

I would recommend eating it fresh. It is edible but the Bechamel sauce firmed up and potatoes became soggy.