Moussaka

Moussaka - Photo By Thanasis Bounas
Moussaka - Photo By Thanasis Bounas

Ingredients:

  • 5 large eggplants, sliced into rounds
  • 8 potatoes, sliced into rounds

For the Meat Sauce:

  • 800g ground beef
  • 2 onions, chopped
  • 1 carrot, grated
  • 2-3 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 5 ripe tomatoes, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 50g wine
  • 1 bay leaf
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Sweet paprika
  • Olive oil

For the Béchamel Sauce:

  • 100g butter
  • 100g flour
  • 1 liter warm milk
  • 100g kefalotyri cheese (or Parmesan)
  • Nutmeg
  • Salt
  • Pepper

Instructions:

  1. Prepare the Vegetables:
    Peel the potatoes, slice them, and lightly fry both the potatoes and eggplants. Place them on paper towels to absorb excess oil and set aside.
  2. For the Meat Sauce:
    • In a pot, heat the olive oil and sauté the ground beef. Spread the meat evenly in the pot without stirring constantly to allow it to brown well and retain its juices.
    • Add the onions, garlic, and carrot; sauté for another 2-3 minutes.
    • Add the tomatoes, sugar, bay leaf, salt, pepper, cinnamon stick, and wine. Let the alcohol evaporate for 2 minutes with the pot uncovered.
    • Cover the pot, reduce the heat, and simmer for 25 minutes until the sauce has absorbed most of the liquid.
  3. For the Béchamel Sauce:
    • In a pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk continuously for a few minutes to cook the flour.
    • Gradually add the warm milk, whisking well to prevent lumps. Continue stirring until the sauce thickens.
    • Season with salt, pepper, nutmeg, and add the kefalotyri cheese, stirring to combine.
  4. Assembling the Moussaka:
    • In a baking dish, arrange the potato slices in a single layer to cover the base.
    • Layer the eggplants over the potatoes in the same way.
    • Spoon the meat sauce over the eggplants and spread evenly.
    • Finally, pour the hot béchamel sauce over the meat layer, spreading it evenly across the top.
  5. Baking:
    • Preheat the oven to 180-190°C (350-375°F).
    • Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the top forms a golden crust.

Enjoy your moussaka warm with a golden, creamy topping!

Moussaka - Photo By Thanasis Bounas
Moussaka – Photo By Thanasis Bounas

Source is from DeliciousPath.com




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