Moussaka is the most famous Greek dish and its etymology comes from the Arabic word “Moussaka”. It is a local dish of the Balkan region such as Turkey, Greece, Serbia, and Bulgaria and what makes this dish interesting is that the recipe of moussaka is completely different in each country. Bulgaria uses yogurt mixed with raw eggs, potatoes and minced meat. Arab moussaka is like a hot salad with tomatoes and his eggplant, similar to Italian caponata. The Turkish one is completely different from the Greek one, and it is made with tomato, eggplant and minced meat and is served with pilaf. Romanian ones are made from cabbage and pasta. Greek moussaka is a layered gratin-like dish, made by the famous Greek cook Nikolaos Tselemendes in the 1920s, in an attempt to remove Greek or their Asian elements and replace it with something from Europe. It is said that it started when the one with added elements was introduced. Moussaka, which uses a lot of olive oil is really delicious because the dough is fluffy. It’s a laborious dish, so it’s only made on special occasions in Greece.
Greek Moussaka
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- Prep Time
- Minutes
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- Cook Time
- Minutes
Ingredients
- 2 large eggplants (1kg) cut horizontally into 1cm slices
- 1 large potatoes cut into 1cm slices (enough to cover the bottom of the baking pan)
- 40 ml olive oil (plus 2 tablespoons extra)
- ½ large onion grated
- 1 garlic cloves, sliced
- 500 g lean ground minced beef
- 300 gr of pureed canned tomatoes
- 1⁄4 teaspoon ground allspice
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- Salt, pepper, to taste
- 1 egg white, lightly beaten
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley
- For topping
- 100 gr butter
- 80 gr soft plain flower
- 400 ml full body milk (or more)
- 100 gr of grated parmesan cheese
- 1 eggs
- Pinch of ground nutmeg
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preparation: Step 1 (eggplant): Cut the eggplants lengthwise into thin slices, sprinkle with salt and leave to rest for 30 minutes. After 30 min rinse with cold water, squeeze out the excess water and dry with paper towel. Layer the eggplants in the baking pan and brush them with olive oil. Heat the oven in 200 C and bake to soften around 15 min.
- Step 2 (meat sauce): In a large, heavy skillet heat two spoons of olive oil and sauté onion and garlic until translucent. Add ground beef and brown lightly. Add tomato, allspice, salt, sugar, pepper and a bit of water, if necessary. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for about 15-20min until all liquid has evaporated. Optionally you can add a cup of red wine and stir in the meat. When done remove from the stove and add egg white and parsley. Cool. Pour the meat in the sieve and drain the excess oil. Preheat the oven to 180 C degrees.
- Step 3 (topping): In a medium saucepan, heat the butter over medium-low heat until melted. Add the flour and stir until smooth. Over medium heat, cook until the mixture turns a light, golden sandy color, about 6 to 7 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the milk in a separate pan until just about to boil. Add the hot milk to the butter mixture 1 cup at a time, stirring continuously until very smooth. Bring to a boil. Cook 10 minutes, stirring constantly, then remove from heat. Stir in the eggs. Season with salt and nutmeg, and set aside until ready to use.
- Step 4 (layering): Lightly oil a large baking pan. Sprinkle bread crumbs on a bottom of a baking pan. 1st layer: potatoes 2nd layer: eggplants 3rd layer: meat sauce 4th layer: eggplants 5th layer: white sauce Sprinkle with grated cheese
- Step 5 (baking): Bake in the preheated oven on 180 degrees for about 45 min covered with aluminum foil. Remove the cover and bake another 20 min till the toppings browns lightly. You will Let cool at least 15 min before serving.
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