A Taste of Greece - Moussaka
Posted by Maria_M27 on February 05 2010 05:39:58

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Looking for something other than wings, pizza, etc. to serve for this Sunday’s big game? Here is a recipe for moussaka, the Greek layered version of lasagna. The best part is this dish gets better the longer it sits out at room temperature. Enjoy!


Ingredients:
-3 medium eggplants
-4 medium Spanish onions
-2 cloves garlic
-2 ½ lbs. ground beef or lamb
-3 tbsp. tomato paste
-1/2 cup red wine
-2 cups chopped, unseasoned canned tomatoes
-½ tsp. cinnamon
-olive oil
-1 cup fine breadcrumbs
-1 cup grated parmigiano reggiano cheese

For the Bechamel Sauce:
-8 tbsp. butter
-6 tbsp. flour
-1 quart whole or 2 percent milk
-4 eggs
-2 cups ricotta cheese
-dash of nutmeg


Directions:
1) Peel and cut the eggplants into ½ inch thick rounds.

2) Brush slices with olive oil and place on a baking sheet. Cook under the broiler until soft.

3) In a Dutch oven, brown onions (peeled and chopped) and garlic (chopped) in a bit of olive oil. Add beef, lamb or a combination of the two, and cook for 10 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, red wine, canned tomatoes and cinnamon. Stir over low heat until liquid is absorbed. Set aside.

4) For the béchamel sauce, melt butter in a saucepan. Whisk in flour until blended.

5) In another pan, bring milk to a boil. Remove from heat and gradually add the roux, stirring until mixture is thick and smooth. Cool slightly; stir in eggs, ricotta cheese and nutmeg.

6) Preheat oven to 375F.

7) Grease a 16 x 11 inch lasagna pan.

8) Sprinkle bottom with breadcrumbs. Alternately layer eggplant slices and meat in the pan, topping meat layers with a sprinkling of breadcrumbs and parmesan. Top with béchamel sauce and bake for an hour or until top is golden.

9) Remove and allow to sit at least 30 minutes before serving.