Recipe for Greek Beef Moussaka

This Greek specialty uses layers of roasted eggplant and ground beef topped with white sauce.

Ingredients

Eggplant

• 3 large eggplants
• 60 milliliters olive oil
• 5 grams salt
• 2 grams pepper

Meat

• 600 grams ground beef
• 1 onion
• 400 grams tomato sauce
• 5 grams cinnamon

Sauce

• 100 grams butter
• 100 grams flour
• 800 milliliters milk
• 2 egg yolks

Preparation

Eggplant

1. Slice the eggplants and salt them for twenty minutes then rinse and pat dry
2. Brush with olive oil and bake at 200 Celsius for fifteen minutes until soft

Meat

1. Sauté the onion and beef until browned then add tomato sauce and cinnamon
2. Simmer the meat sauce for twenty minutes until the liquid has mostly evaporated

Sauce

1. Melt butter and whisk in flour then add milk slowly until a thick sauce forms
2. Stir in the egg yolks and a pinch of nutmeg once the sauce has cooled
3. Layer eggplant and meat then top with sauce and bake at 180 Celsius for forty-five minutes

Tips

• Salting the eggplants removes the bitter moisture and helps them brown better
• A touch of cinnamon in the meat sauce provides the signature authentic flavor
• Use high fat milk for the bechamel to ensure a creamy and stable topping