Probably the best known Greek dish, Moussaka. Enjoy!
Ingredients
4-5 big eggplants, cut into 1 cm rounds
salt
½ cup olive oil
a. the tomato sauce
2 tbs olive oil
500 gr ground beef
1 onion, thinly chopped
1 garlic clove, sliced
250 gr chopped tomato
1 tsp tomato paste
¼ tsp ground allspice
½ tsp granulated sugar
¼ tsp oregano
½ stick cinnamon
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper
80 gr kefalotiri (or pecorino)
b. the White Sauce:
600 ml whole milk
60 gr butter
60 gr flour
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 egg yolks, lightly beaten
Instructions
1. Sprinkle the eggplant slices with salt and pepper, drizzle with olive oil and put them in a baking sheet
2. Bake the eggplants until soften at 180o
3. Add 2 tbs of olive oil to a pan.
4. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, or until the onion is softened.
5. Increase the heat to medium, add the beef and cook until browned.
6. Add the tomato paste, the chopped tomato, allspice, the bay leaf, the oregano, the cinnamon stick and sugar, and season with salt and pepper.
7. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until almost all the liquid has evaporated. Remove from heat and let cool
8. Meanwhile, prepare the white sauce.
9. Melt the butter in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat, and then stir in the flour and cook, stirring frequently, for 1 minute.
10. Remove the pan from the heat and gradually pour in the milk, whisking constantly until the mixture is smooth.
11. Return the sauce to medium heat and simmer, whisking constantly, for 5 minutes, until thickened and smooth. Remove from the heat, and whisk in the nutmeg, salt and pepper.
12. Preheat the oven to 180o C.
13. Grease a pan with butter and cover the base of the dish with half the eggplant slices, overlapping them slightly.
14. Spread the meat sauce on top and cover with the rest of the eggplant slices, overlapping them slightly. Whisk the egg yolks into the white sauce and spread it evenly over the eggplants
15. Spread the cheese and bake for about 40 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. Remove from the oven and let stand for 15 minutes before serving.