Alexa, I have a craving for moussaka now too.

Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table

Moussaka
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edited

2 eggplants cut into 1/4 inch round slices.
3 large potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch thick long slices
1/2 cup flour, seasoned with salt and pepper.
vegetable oil. (1 to 2 inches deep)

For the beef tomato sauce:
2 pounds lean ground beef/veal/pork or lamb.
1 large onion, medium diced
2 tablespoons minced garlic
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 to 2 teaspoons ground allspice
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 large can tomatoes, chopped

For the Bechamel:
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons flour
4 cups milk
garlic clove cracked (not minced)
1/4teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 egg yolks
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

To Finish:
3/4 cup breadcrumbs
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
. Slice eggplant and salt. Let sit for 10 to 15 minutes. Wipe dry.

Season flour with salt and pepper.
dip eggplant into flour and fry in hot oil turning when golden. Dry on
paper towels.

Fry potato slices until lightly golden. Remove the potatoes to a paper
towel.

For the ground beef Tomato Sauce mixture:

Saute the ground beef for 2 minutes, until it
begins to turn brown. Add the onions and garlic and saute for 5 more
minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Drain off any excess fat from the
pan. Season the mixture with allspice, oregano, and cinnamon and cook
for 3 more minutes. Add the tomatoes. Cook, stirring occasionally
until the mixture is a thick tomato sauce consistency, about 30
minutes. Check for seasoning. Remove from the heat and cool.

For the Bechamel:

In a saucepan, melt the butter. Add the flour to make a roux. Cook the
roux over medium heat for 3 or 4 minutes, or until it becomes a very
pale tan color. Slowly add the milk, whisking constantly. Add the garlic clove, the
nutmeg and the lemon juice. Simmer, stirring constantly, over low heat
for 15 minutes. The mixture should be fairly thick. Remove the garlic clove. In a separate bowl,
whisk the eggs together. Take 1/2 cup of the hot milk mixture and whisk
it into the beaten eggs. This will temper the eggs. Whisk the egg/milk
mixture back into the milk mixture. Add the Parmesan cheese and stir.
Over very low heat, cook this mixture for 3 more minutes. Be careful
not to let the mixture simmer. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from
the heat and cool.

To finish: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Sprinkle the bottom of a
baking dish with 1/4 cup of breadcrumbs. Place a layer of the eggplant
over the breadcrumbs. Place a layer of the potatoes over the eggplant.
Place 1/2 of the beef tomato sauce mixture over the potatoes. Add
another layer of eggplant and another layer of potatoes. Top with the
remaining lamb mixture. Place one more layer of eggplant and potatoes
over the beef mixture. Top with bechamel. Sprinkle with
the Parmesan cheese. Place in the oven
and bake for 45 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. Remove from
the oven and let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

That makes three of us that have the craving now. The weather is cr@ppy here and I was wracking my brain for something different. This recipe sounds great but I wonder if I could just cut all the ingredients in half to make a smaller batch?

James you can definitely cut that recipe in half.

I usually make a small casserole just big enough for Moe and I to have two meals out of it. It is one of the few things that I don't mind as leftovers.

Ann

This one is wonderful. I make half the recipe, in an 11x11 Corningware pan. A big oval gratin dish works too.
You can make the lamb mixture the day before.

Moussaka la Grecque

From The New York Times Cookbook by Craig Claiborne

3 medium eggplants
8 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 onions, chopped
2 pounds ground lamb
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 1/2 cup red wine
1/2 cup chopped parsley
Pinch cinnamon
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 quart whole milk, heated
4 large eggs, beaten
Pinch nutmeg
2 cups ricotta
1 cup fresh bread crumbs
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Peel the eggplant and slice it crosswise 1/2-inch thick. Sprinkle both sides of each slice lightly with salt, arrange in 1 layer on paper towels and let drain for 30 minutes.

In a large skillet heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over moderate heat; add as many slices as will fit in 1 layer and brown on both sides. Repeat the procedure with 4 tablespoons of the remaining oil and the remaining eggplant. Drain the eggplant as they are cooked on paper towels.

Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and the onion to the skillet and cook until the onions are brown. Add the ground meat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat is no longer pink. Combine the tomato paste with the wine, parsley, and cinnamon. Add this mixture to the skillet and simmer over low heat, stirring often, until all the liquid has evaporated. Add salt and pepper, to taste.

In a sauce pan, over low heat, melt the butter, add the flour and whisk for 5 minutes. Turn up the heat to moderate and add the milk in a stream, whisking. Simmer for 5 minutes, add salt and pepper, to taste, and remove from the heat. Cool slightly and stir in the eggs, nutmeg, and ricotta.

Grease and 11 by 16-inch pan and sprinkle the bottom lightly with bread crumbs. Arrange alternating layers of eggplant and meat sauce in the pan, sprinkling each layer with Parmesan and bread crumbs. Pour the egg sauce over the top and bake one hour in a preheat 350 degree oven, or until top is golden. Let cool twenty minutes before slicing.

Just noticed that the Food Network (where I copied the recipe) changed something from the original recipe. The NYT Cookbook says just "bread crumbs," and I use dried ones. Not fresh. I've also just skipped them, and that works okay too. I don't think I'd use fresh.

This is the one I use:

To serve 4:
1 large (about 300 g) eggplant, or substitute with potatoes if eggplant is not available
About 225 g potatoes, or 525 g if eggplant is not available
350 g minced lamb or mutton, lightly browned (beef may be substituted but lamb is better)
6 tbs olive oil
1 onion
2 garlic cloves
225 g ripe tomatoes, peeled and deseeded, or 1 standard can
1 tbs tomato purée
4 tbs lamb or vegetable stock
1 tbs fresh parsley, chopped (optional)
salt & ground black pepper to taste
1-2 tbs olive oil
A pinch of cinnamon (optional)
100 g Parmesan cheese, grated
2 eggs
300 ml Greek yogurt (I use skyr, which is of similar consistency and flavour)

Trim the eggplant and cut into slices, about 5 mm. thick. Sprinkle salt on the slices and leave to drain in a colander for about 30 minutes. Rinse with cold water and pat dry.
Peel the potatoes and cut into slices, same thickness as the eggplant. Heat 1-2 tbs. olive oil in a frying pan and lightly brown the lamb mince. Remove from the pan.

Heat the oven to 190°C while you prepare the meat sauce:
Heat half the olive oil in a frying pan and fry the eggplant slices for 3-4 minutes on each side, or until soft. Remove from the pan and drain on kitchen paper. Add the remaining oil to the pan and fry the potato slices for 2-3 minutes on each side. Remove from the pan and drain. Add onion and garlic to the pan and cook for about 5 minutes, or until soft. Remove the pan from the stove, and add the pre-cooked lamb mince. Stir to mix. Add the chopped tomatoes, tomato purée, stock and parsley, if using. Season with cinnamon, salt and pepper and mix well.

Arrange the eggplant slices (or half the potatoes if you're not using eggplant) on the bottom and around the sides of an oven-proof casserole dish (must take at least 1200 ml). Put half the meat sauce on top. Top with potato slices, and cover with the rest of the meat sauce.

Beat together the Greek yogurt, eggs and Parmesan cheese, add a pinch of salt and pour over the top. Bake for about 35 minutes, until the mixture is bubbling hot and the topping is golden.

Grated cheese, such as Gouda, may be sprinkled on top for a more cheesy flavour.
Serve with Greek salad and crusty bread.

There's a Greek restaurant near my house that serves some of the best moussaka I have ever had.

Thanks everyone!

Ann - your photo looks exactly like what I want, so I will try your recipe first. I will report back on how it goes with the rest of the family.

Thanks again, I am saving all of them for future use.

Alexa

I hope you like it Alexa. I'm not working Monday so if I still have a craving for Moussaka tomorrow, I just might have to make it for dinner.

Ann

OMG these recipes look soooo wonderful, and ann t, you've done it again with your fabulous photograph & stunning, accompanying recipe!
Why is my tummy growling at 10:25 pm in the evening? I looked at ann's photo!!!!
Smiles,
Sooz