The Pioneer Woman Tasty Kitchen
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Moussaka

5.00 Mitt(s) 1 Rating(s)1 vote, average: 5.00 out of 51 vote, average: 5.00 out of 51 vote, average: 5.00 out of 51 vote, average: 5.00 out of 51 vote, average: 5.00 out of 5

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Level: Intermediate

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Description

A traditional Greek dish, made in the traditional way. Please don’t be put off by the length of this recipe. It is actually quite easy!!!

Ingredients

  • 2 whole Large Potatoes, Peeled And Sliced
  • 3 whole Medium Eggplant, Peeled And Sliced
  • 1 pound, 1-⅔ ounces, weight Minced Beef
  • 1 whole Medium Onion, Chopped
  • 1 can Chopped Tomatoes
  • 3 Tablespoons Tomato Paste (optional)
  • 4 cloves Garlic (or To Taste)
  • 1 teaspoon Cinnamom
  • ½ teaspoons Cumin Powder
  • 2 leaves Bay
  • 3 whole Egg Yolk Only
  • 2-⅔ ounces, weight Butter
  • 3 cups, 2 tablespoons, 2 teaspoons, 2-⅝ pinches Milk
  • 2-½ ounces, weight Pecorino Or Parmesan Cheese
  • 3-⅝ ounces, weight Gluten Free Flour
  • 5-⅓ ounces, weight Oil

Preparation

First prepare the meat sauce:
Put about 75 ml of oil in a large fry pan. Add the garlic, saute for a minute, then add the finely chopped onion. Let them wilt while stirring constantly, then add the the minced meat. Brown the meat (at this point you might like to add a glass of red wine, letting it evaporate quickly). Add the cinnamon, cumin powder and bay leaf. Add the chopped tomatoes and the tomato paste. Season with salt and pepper (I like to add a few fresh herbs like parsley, oregano, sage, and if I am lucky, basil!) Lower the heat and let it simmer for as long as possible (at least 1 hour, but longer is better!)

While that is going, peel and cut the eggplants in 1 inch slices. Spread them out on a clean towel, sprinkle some salt on them and let them “sweat’ for a few minutes. Pat them dry, brush them with the some of the oil on both sides, lay them on baking dishes and put them in the oven on 160/170C (low) for 10-15 minutes.

Peel and slice the potatoes and fry the slices in the remaining oil. By the time you have done this, the eggplant will be ready!

Make a bechamel sauce with the butter, flour and milk. Off the heat, add the 3 egg yolks, a good grating of nutmeg, salt, pepper and the Parmesan or Pecorino cheese. Now you are ready to assemble.

In an ovenproof dish, make a layer of potatoes. Add just a bit of the meat sauce, then a layer of eggplant. Add a generous amount of meat sauce (on top of that I like to add a bit of the bechamel sauce, which is not traditional, but I like it!). Then add a second layer of eggplant and the rest of the bechamel sauce. Finish off with a good sprinkling of grated parmesan.

Put in the oven for 30-35 minutes on medium heat, just to warm it through. Let it rest for at least half an hour.

Serve with a mixed salad and crusty bread…
and you are in Greece!

3 Comments

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anomiso on 7.23.2009

Techkim!
I do hope that you enjoyed it…it does smell and tastes terrific!
BTW most of the time I do not bother with the eggs either, as I cannot taste any noticeable difference in the end product, but I wanted to be as accurate as I could in giving a traditional recipe.
I have always tough of moussaka as the Greek version of our lasagna, as it is almost the same.. for the eggplant and potatoes we substitute the pasta!!!
Thank you for taking the time

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anomiso on 7.23.2009

Erika, thank you
and of course I will
I am sorry I left that out
500gr of minced meat
for the bechamel sauce
100gr flour
75 gr butter
750 ml of milk
3 egg yolk (as techkim said, they can always be left out…quite honestly I cannot taste much of a difference with or without…70 gr pecorino or parmesan cheese
a generous grating of nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste

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Kimmy W on 7.21.2009

anomiso this is SOOOO good. I made it this morning and the house smells good. I shedded my potatoes so they cooked faster. Can’t do eggs so I left those out and it is fine. Thanks again for posting this recipe

One Review

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sugarbug on 5.25.2011

Love this recipe,takes a bit of prep but well worth it. The leftovers are delicious also. I use rice flour for the bechamel.

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