Moussaka is an eggplant and/or potato-based dish popular in Balkan and Mediterranean cuisines, with many local and regional variations. The same name and recipe is found throughout the lands that were formerly part of the Ottoman Empire. In Greece, the dish is layered and typically enjoyed hot. In Turkey, it is sautéed and served in the style of a casserole, and is consumed warm or at room temperature. In Arabic countries, a variant of the same recipe is eaten cold.
Greece Most versions are based primarily on sautéed eggplant and tomato, usually with minced meat. The Greek version includes layers of meat and eggplant topped with a Béchamel ("white") sauce, and baked. The modern Greek version was probably formulated in the 1920s. It has three layers that are separately cooked before being combined together for the final baking: a bottom layer of sliced eggplants sautéed in olive oil; a middle layer of ground lamb lightly cooked with chopped or puréed tomatoes, onion, garlic, and spices (cinnamon,allspice and black pepper); and a top layer of Béchamel sauce or savoury custard.
Turkey Turkish musakka is not layered. Instead, it is prepared with sautéed eggplants, green peppers, tomatoes, onions, and minced meat. It is eaten with cacık and pilaf. There are also variants with zucchini, carrots and potatoes.
Balkans Serbian, Macedonian and Bulgarian (countries formerly part of the Ottoman Empire) versions use potatoes instead of eggplants, pork mince, and the top layer is yogurt mixed with raw eggs and a couple of spoons of flour. The Romanian version is made usually with potatoes or eggplant or cabbage. The layers start with the vegetable, then the layer of meat (usually pork), then vegetables, until the pot is full. Sometimes bread crumbs are used for toppings, sometimes slices of tomatoes and crushed cheese. The pot is then filled with tomato sauce. In the rest of the Balkans, the top layer is often a custard: this is the version introduced in the UK by Elizabeth David's Mediterranean Cookery and where it remains as the "classic" presentation. Grated cheese or bread crumbs are often sprinkled on top.
This recipe has taken into account all three methods. I use potatoes on the bottom layer to create a crispy potato crust, but you can easily substitute eggplant for the potatoes in the recipe, as I quite often do. I eat it warm with a side salad of fresh garden vegetables.
Ingredients:
Filling :
1 lb of minced meat, Lamb or Beef
1 medium onion minced
1 clove of garlic minced
2 stalks of celery minced
1 small zucchini chopped
1 tsp of oregano
1/2 tsp of cinnamon
1/4 tsp of nutmeg
1/2 tsp of all spice
1/4 tsp of tumeric
1/4 tsp of hot chili peppers
1/2 tsp of smoked hot paprika (optional)
2 tomatoes chopped
2 lbs of potatoes peeled and thinly sliced
salt & pepper
2 TBSP of olive oil
Bechamel:
1 Qrt or liter of Whole Milk
5 TBSP of butter
5 TBSP of flour
2 cloves of garlic crushed but not minced (optional)
2 sprigs of thyme (optional)
1/4 cup of grated parmesan cheese
Filling
Heat large skillet on medium heat. Add oil, onions, celery, garlic, and spices. cook until tender about 8-10 minutes. Remove vegetables and place in a bowl. In same pan cook meat, making sure it is finely crumbled. Add tomatoes, zucchini and cooked vegetables and simmer on low while you cook potatoes and bechamel sauce.
Peel and rinse potatoes. Slice very thin about 1/4" on a mandoline. Rinse again and pat dry. You have two choices here - you can fry them in a pan until tender, or roast them. I am lazy and prefer to slow roast in the oven while I make my sauce. I toss them with olive oil, salt and pepper and place them on a cooling rack then on a cookie sheet in a 350o oven for about 15 minutes. i like the flavor when they are a little crispy from roasting, but the choice is yours. The most important thing is the potatoes are cooked until they are tender - THEY WILL NOT COOK IN THE OVEN when you bake the Moussaka.
Bechamel Sauce:
Melt butter in large sauce pan over medium low heat add flour and stir. Cook until lightly golden brown, about 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally so it doesn't burn. Increase heat to medium high and slowly add milk and stir with a whisk to prevent lumps. Add garlic & thyme, reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 15- 20 minutes while sauce thickens and infuses with flavor. Remove from heat, remove garlic and thyme. Add parmesan cheese. Adjust flavor with additional pinch of salt if needed.
Grease a 9x9 baking pan. Place a few TBSP of filling on the bottom of the pan, this is just to prevent the potatoes from sticking. Layer pan with two rows of potatoes. Cover with filling and repeat process. Make sure your top layer is meat. Add bechamel sauce, covering entire pan. I like to tap the pan on the counter and add more sauce if I have it. Cover with a sheet of wax paper sprayed with a bit of cooking spray to prevent the sauce from sticking and turning grey. Add foil and place on a baking tray and in a 375o oven for 40 minutes.
After 40 minutes turn oven to broil, remove foil and waxed paper. gently brown the top of the bechamel sauce. this happens fast so keep a watchful eye.
Remove from oven, and let rest for 15 minutes. Prepare a side salad and serve. Enjoy
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