Moussaka

At the farmer’s market this past weekend I saw a lot of eggplant. Yes, the small baby eggplants are in. So in thinking about what to do with them I remembered an article I had read in my latest issue of ‘Fine Cooking Magazine’ about moussaka. Of course moussaka uses eggplant but this recipe used potatoes also. The writer who is Greek, said that her aunt taught her how to make this moussaka and it was the best she had ever eaten. So I decided I would give it a try.

The moussaka I will admit, was time consuming. Each layer had to be done separately and you had another layer to prepare---the potatoes. But it makes a lot and can feed a large group. You can freeze it for 3 months and then bake so I figured it was several meals, so worth the time. Some things I learned from the article: the meat sauce is made with beef not lamb so the flavor doesn’t overwhelm the ingredients; sometimes the eggplant is fried and sometimes it is roasted (I roasted them); always fry the potatoes to get a perfectly silken tender-creamy texture.

The moussaka was worth the effort. Delicious and warming. Give this a try!

From the October/November 2015 ‘Fine Cooking Magazine’

Moussaka

Serves 8-12

For the Meat Sauce:

2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil

2 medium yellow onions, finely chopped (about 2 ½ cups)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 lb. 80% lean ground beef (I used grass-fed)

½ cup dry red wine

½ cup canned crushed tomatoes

¼ cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 Tbs. tomato paste

¼ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg

For the Eggplant:

3 lb. eggplant (about 2 medium or 5-6 baby eggplant), trimmed and sliced crosswise about ¼-inch thick

Kosher salt

3 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil; more as needed

Freshly ground black pepper

For the Potatoes:

1 cup extra-virgin olive oil

3 medium russet potatoes (about 2 ½ lb.), rinsed and dried

Kosher salt

For the Béchamel

3 cups whole milk

4 oz. (1/2 cup unsalted butter)

2 ¼ oz. (1/2 cup) unbleached all-purpose flour

2 large eggs, beaten

½ oz. finely grated Pamigiano-Reggiano or pecorino romano (1/2 cup)

¼ tsp. freshly ground nutmeg; more to taste

Kosher salt

Make the meat sauce:

Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, a generous pinch of salt, and a few grinds of pepper. Cook stirring occasionally, until translucent, 5-8 minutes.

Turn the heat up to medium high. Add the beef, a pinch of salt, and a few grinds of pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally and breaking up the meat, until browned, 7-10 minutes. Add the wine, turn the heat down to medium, and cook, stirring occasionally, until absorbed, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes, parsley, tomato paste, and nutmeg, and stir to combine. Turn the heat down to low and gently simmer to meld the flavors, stirring once or twice, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside. (The meat sauce can be refrigerated for up to 2 days or frozen up to 3 months).

Salt the Eggplant:

Cover the bottom and sides of a large colander with a single layer of the eggplant slices and sprinkle generously with salt. Top with more of layers of eggplant, salting each layer until you run out of slices. Let sit in the sink or over a large bowl for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour.

Pan-Fry the Potatoes:

Heat the oil in a heavy duty 12-inch skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium heat until shimmering hot (about 375°F).

Meanwhile, slice the potatoes crosswise into ¼-inch rounds. Discarding the end slices.

Working in batches, slide 10-15 potato slices into the hot oil in a single layer. Fry, flipping once, until the potatoes are tender, about 4 minutes.

Roast the Eggplant:

Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F.

Rinse the eggplant in cold water to remove excess salt. Press the slices between paper towels or clean kitchen towels to dry, then arrange them in a single layer on 2 large rimmed baking sheets. Lightly brush both sides of each slice with the olive oil and lightly season both sides with salt and pepper, Roast, flipping once, until tender and lightly browned, 30-35 minutes total.

Make the Béchamel:

Heat the milk in a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat until steaming; set aside.

Melt the butter in a 4-quart saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the flour and cook, whisking constantly, until golden, about 5 minutes. Slowly whisk in the hot milk and then simmer gently, whisking, until the raw taste is gone and the sauce thickens, about 5 minutes. Turn the heat down to low and gradually whisk in the eggs; whisk vigorously to combine. Remove from the heat. Set aside 1Tbs. of the cheese for assembly, and add the remaining cheese to the sauce, along with the nutmeg and 1 tsp. salt; whisk until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Assemble and Bake:

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. Lightly oil a 9x13-inch baking dish.

Arrange the potatoes in an even layer on the bottom of the dish, overlapping the slices like shingles. Sprinkle evenly with 1 tsp. of the reserved cheese.

Arrange the eggplant slices as you did the potatoes, and evenly sprinkle with 1tsp. of the remaining cheese. Spread the meat sauce in an even layer on top of the eggplant. Pour the béchamel over the meat sauce and spread in an even layer. Evenly sprinkle with the remaining 1 tsp. cheese. Bake until the top is golden brown, 50-60 minutes. Let sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before serving.