Recipe of Perfect Greek Moussaka

Hello everybody, it is Drew, welcome to our recipe site. Today, I will show you a way to make a distinctive dish, greek moussaka. It is one of my favorites. For mine, I am going to make it a little bit unique. This will be really delicious.

Greek Moussaka recipe - A delicious taste of Greece. With this step-by-step traditional Greek Moussaka recipe you can easily recreate this traditional delight from scratch. The wonderful Akis Petretzikis has a fantastic moussaka recipe using baked vegetables instead of fried to make it that little bit lighter. Moussaka by Greek chef Akis Petretzikis!

Greek Moussaka is one of the most popular of current trending foods on earth. It is enjoyed by millions daily. It is easy, it’s fast, it tastes yummy. Greek Moussaka is something which I’ve loved my whole life. They’re nice and they look wonderful.

To get started with this particular recipe, we have to prepare a few ingredients. You can have greek moussaka using 30 ingredients and 18 steps. Here is how you can achieve that.

The ingredients needed to make Greek Moussaka:

1. Prepare Eggplant:
2. Make ready 2 lbs. eggplant, peeled, cut length wise into 1/2" slices
3. Take 1/2 cup olive oil
4. Get Beef
5. Prepare 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
6. Prepare 1.5 lbs. ground beef (or lamb)
7. Prepare 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
8. Make ready 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
9. Make ready 1/4 tsp. ground allspice
10. Make ready Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
11. Take 1 large yellow onion, roughly chopped
12. Take 5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
13. Make ready 3 tbs. tomato paste
14. Get 1 cup red wine
15. Prepare 1 (28 ounce) can) chopped tomatoes, drained
16. Prepare 2 tbs. fresh mint, chopped
17. Get Potatoes
18. Prepare 2 lbs. potatoes, peeled, cut crosswise into 1/2” slices
19. Prepare 1/4 cup vegetable oil
20. Prepare Béchamel Sauce:
21. Make ready 5 tbs. unsalted butter
22. Make ready 1/2 cup flour
23. Get 2 cups milk (warm)
24. Take 1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
25. Prepare 3 egg yolks
26. Take 1 cup grated Romano cheese
27. Get 1 lemon, zested
28. Prepare 2 cups grated Parmesan cheese, divided
29. Take 1/3 cup bread crumbs
30. Get 1 flat leaf parsley for garnish

Moussaka (/muːˈsɑːkə/, /ˌmuːsəˈkɑː/ or /ˌmuːsɑːˈkɑː/) is an eggplant- and/or potato-based dish, often including ground meat, which is common in the Balkans and the Middle East, with many local and regional variations. This classic Greek moussaka recipe is made by layering eggplant and potatoes with a spiced meat filling and topping it with a béchamel sauce. Authentic Greek Moussaka. this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines. The preparation of moussaka differs in Turkey, Greece and Lebanon.

Instructions to make Greek Moussaka:

1. Season the eggplant slices on both sides with salt. Cover with a paper towel to soak up the moisture. Set aside for about 20 minutes.
2. Heat a large sauce pan over medium-high heat with a small amount of olive oil. Add the beef and the spices and begin browning the meat. Break up the meat as you cook, about 5-6 minutes. Transfer to a large strainer and drain off the liquid.
3. Return the pan to the heat and add a bit more olive oil and then add the onions and cook until soft, about 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the tomato paste, mix this around, and cook for 1 minute.
4. Add the wine to the pan, along with the tomatoes. Bring this to a slight boil and reduce the heat to low-medium.
5. Fold the meat in and cook this stirring occasionally until this thickens a bit, about 20 minutes. Stir in the mint and season with salt and pepper and remove from the heat.
6. Heat some oil in a large skillet (cast iron is good) over medium heat. Working in batches, add the potato slices and fry until tender and lightly golden brown on both sides, about 5 minutes per side. Add oil if necessary. Transfer to a 9x12 baking dish or casserole dish.
7. Place the eggplant slices in the same skillet (with olive oil) on medium-low heat. Sauté them lightly on both sides, about 3-4 minutes per side. Add oil to prevent sticking or drying out. Transfer to the baking dish.
8. For the Béchamel: - Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk constantly, until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the warm milk gradually while stirring lightly.
9. Continue to heat this and whisk slowly until thickened. This will take several minutes. Season this with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Remove from the heat and let the sauce cool for a few minutes.
10. In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolks, and then add the grated Romano cheese and lemon zest and mix.
11. Fold this into the sauce pan and lightly whisk until smooth. Keep the sauce pan warm over very low heat.
12. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
13. Layer the potatoes evenly on the bottom of a large baking pan (or casserole dish). Spoon a third of the meat sauce on top and sprinkle this with a light layer of Parmesan cheese.
14. Next layer the eggplant slices evenly on top and cover with the remaining meat sauce and a light sprinkling of cheese.
15. Pour the béchamel sauce over the top and spread evenly with a large spoon. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top and add a light dusting of bread crumbs.
16. Place the dish on a baking sheet (drippings), and bake at 375˚until browned and bubbly, about 45 minutes.
17. Remove from oven and let cool completely. This process will allow the pan ingredients to congeal. [Sliced portions will stay intact and not slide when serving]
18. When ready to serve, reheat oven at 350˚ and warm the entire pan for 20-25 minutes. Use a spatula to make cuts for individual servings. Top each slice serving with a sprig of parsley.

Authentic Greek Moussaka. this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines. The preparation of moussaka differs in Turkey, Greece and Lebanon. Moussaka is a classic Greek comfort food. Follow our step-by-step recipe to make this easy and comforting eggplant casserole. Try Rick Stein's take on this traditional Greek moussaka, combining spiced lamb mince and creamy white sauce.

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