How Is the Greek Meat Dish Called Moussaka Made?

Greek moussaka evokes feelings of lazy Sunday afternoons in the Mediterranean countryside, replete with copious amounts of red wine, laughing children and rustic, simple country food. Moussaka is an heirloom dish, a dish specific to a region or culture whose subtle nuances, such as seasonings or finishing touches, may vary but whose main ingredients are the same in all versions. You have three main components in moussaka: a ground-meat-and-tomato filling, basically a bolognese sauce; a bechamel sauce, or thickened milk sauce finished with hard cheese and egg yolks; and layers of thickly sliced, meaty eggplants.

Things You'll Need

Ground meat, such as lamb, pork or beef
Tomatoes
Alliums, such as garlic and onions
Wine
Oregano and Mediterranean pices

Whole milk
All-purpose flour
Eggplants
Hard cheese

Filling

Brown the ground lamb, pork or beef, or a combination thereof, in a large pan over medium heat. You need about 1 to 1 1/2 pounds for a family-size moussaka.
Add a combination of alliums to the ground beef and cook until translucent and fragrant, about five minutes. Add a generous pouring of dry red or white wine and cook until reduced, about five minutes.
Add a few cups of chunky tomatoes to the pan. You can use just about any tomato product or a mixture of more than one. Canned chopped tomatoes, fresh San Marzanos, regular beefsteak, Romas or a few handfuls of cherries or teardrop tomatoes all work.
Add a couple pinches of dried pungent and aromatic spices and a handful of chopped fresh herbs to the pan. Greek moussaka calls for herbs and spices found abundantly in the Mediterranean cooking, such as flat-leaf parsley, oregano, cinnamon and allspice.
Cook about 30 minutes, until the filling reduces to the consistency of a chunky, rustic bolognese sauce. Push the filling to one side of the pan and tilt it up so the fat can drain to one side. You can prop the pan up against an inverted saute pan. Spoon off all but about 1 tablespoon of the fat that collects and place it in a disposal container. Set the filling aside or transfer it to a bowl.

Heavy Bechamel

Heat about 1 quart of whole milk in a saucepan over low heat.
Make a blond roux by cooking equal parts butter and all-purpose flour until blond, about 15 minutes, on the stove over medium-low heat. You need about 1 cup each butter and flour for a family-size moussaka.
Pour the milk in the roux slowly, whisking constantly. Whisk until smooth, and set the heat to medium-low.
Simmer the bechamel for about 15 minutes and finish with a pinch of nutmeg and a handful of grated hard cheese, such as Asiago, pecorino, Parmesan or kefalotyri.
Set the bechamel aside and let it cool for about 10 minutes. Whisk in two or three egg yolks.

Assembly and Baking

Trim the stem and blossom end from the eggplants and slice them crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Lightly salt the eggplant on both sides. You need about four or five eggplants, or enough to fill the baking dish with three layers.
Heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Oil a deep baking dish and line it with a layer of eggplant slices. Spoon half the filling over the eggplant in an even layer.
Layer the filling with another layer of eggplant slices. Spoon the remainder of the filling on the eggplant slices.
Place the last layer of eggplant slices on the filling and finish with the bechamel sauce. Smooth the bechamel with the back of a spoon.
Bake the moussaka until gratineed, about 40 to 45 minutes. Let the moussaka rest for about 30 minutes before serving.

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