Greek moussaka with eggplant, potatoes and minced meat

Country kitchen

Moussaka is a traditional layered casserole made with eggplant, potatoes, and meat, popular in the Balkan Peninsula and the Middle East. Moussaka is often considered the hallmark of Greek cuisine, although it is also prepared in many other countries. There are several variations of this dish, but we'll focus on the Greek moussaka recipe, which is made with eggplant, potatoes, and ground meat. We'll accompany the cooking process with step-by-step photos.

The dish has a rich taste and appetizing aroma, and in terms of satiety it can be compared to a full dinner.

Ingredients:

For the meat filling:

ground beef - 500-600 g;
red tomatoes – 2 pcs. (about 200 g);
onions – 1 large onion;
olive oil – 2 tbsp;
dry white wine – 70 ml (optional);
salt – 0.5 tsp;
sugar - a pinch (if necessary);
ground black pepper, oregano, sweet paprika, thyme, basil, dried dill – to taste;
fresh garlic – 1-2 cloves.

For the vegetable filling:

eggplants – 1 large or 2 small;
potatoes – 2 medium tubers;
salt – a pinch + for sprinkling the eggplants;
vegetable oil – for frying.

For the white sauce:

cow's milk, pasteurized - 125 ml;
butter – 40 g;
chicken egg, small (category C-2) – 1 pc.;
hard cheese – 50 g;
wheat flour – 1 tbsp;
salt, ground pepper – to taste;
ground nutmeg - a pinch.

For sprinkling the top:

hard cheese – 70 g.

How to make Greek moussaka

Traditional Greek moussaka consists of three parts: the meat filling, sautéed vegetables, and béchamel sauce. These three cooking steps can be done one at a time or in parallel (the latter option saves time).

The meat layer of moussaka takes the longest to prepare; it's somewhat reminiscent of the famous Italian Bolognese sauce. Lamb is most often used for this layer in Greece and the Middle East, but beef can be substituted. Less commonly, a mixture of pork and beef is used.

Peel and finely dice the onion.

Fry until translucent and lightly golden brown, using vegetable oil (preferably olive oil).

Add minced meat to the fried onions and mix.

Cook over medium heat, stirring and breaking up any lumps of minced meat with a spatula.

While frying the minced meat, prepare the tomato puree. Blanch the tomatoes in boiling water for 2 minutes, cool under the tap, and peel the skins. Coarsely chop the blanched tomatoes and transfer to a blender.

Beat until smooth, rub through a sieve (optional).

Advice!

Instead of fresh tomatoes in the autumn-winter period, you can use tomato paste or tomatoes canned in their own juice.

Pour the tomato mixture into the pan with the meat and stir. Simmer over low heat for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has evaporated.

Meanwhile, cut the eggplants and peeled potatoes into thin slices.

Place the eggplants in a deep bowl and sprinkle with salt. Set them aside for now to release their juices, which will remove the bitterness.

Place the potatoes in the heated oil and fry over medium-high heat until golden brown. Place the cooked potato slices on thick paper towels to absorb any excess oil.

While the potatoes are frying and the minced meat is simmering, grate the cheese on a coarse grater. The classic moussaka recipe calls for Parmesan, but you can substitute it with another type of hard cheese.

Once all the potatoes are fried, return to the eggplants. Drain the brown juices and rinse thoroughly to remove salt. Fry in vegetable oil until golden brown. Once done, pat dry with paper towels.