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:
- 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. - 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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!
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