Classic Greek Moussaka

Directions

1. 1

   Step 1

   

   Wash and peel the vegetables. Finely grate the cheese. Thaw the ground meat if necessary. Without removing it from the packaging, soak the ground meat in cold water for 60 minutes.

2. 2

   Step 2

   

   Slice the eggplants and potatoes into circles about 0.5 cm thick. Place the eggplants in a bowl of cold water and add 2 tbsp of salt. This is to remove bitterness from the vegetables and keep them firm during baking. Let the eggplants sit for 20 minutes.

   TipYou can also soak the potatoes in water to prevent them from browning while other ingredients are being prepared.

3. 3

   Step 3

   

   Peel the tomatoes for a more uniform texture. To do this, make a shallow cross-shaped cut where the stem was removed. Then place the tomatoes in boiling water – the water should completely cover the vegetables. Wait 20 seconds and remove them with a slotted spoon. Place the tomatoes in cold water and let them cool. After that, just pull on the edge of the cut and the skin will come off easily. Chop the tomatoes very finely. You can also grate the tomatoes on a coarse grater.

4. 4

   Step 4

   

   Cut the onion into small pieces. Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a skillet. Sauté the onion until translucent.

5. 5

   Step 5

   

   Add the ground meat to the skillet with the onion. While constantly stirring, break up the meat clumps. Continue frying until the meat becomes lighter in color.

6. 6

   Step 6

   

   Add the chopped tomatoes and 80 ml of white wine to the meat. Add salt and pepper. Stir and simmer the filling uncovered for 10 minutes until the liquid evaporates.

   TipInstead of white wine, you can use water or meat broth, but the dish will taste slightly different. White wine gives a slight sweetness after evaporation, while meat broth gives a more savory flavor.

7. 7

   Step 7

   

   Pat the eggplants and potatoes dry to remove excess water. Arrange the vegetables on a baking sheet. Place in the oven at 200°C and bake the vegetables for about 7-10 minutes until they are soft but not fully cooked.

8. 8

   Step 8

   

   Pour the milk into a saucepan or pot and place it on the stove. Bring to a boil and remove from heat.

9. 9

   Step 9

   

   Melt 40 g of butter in a skillet. Add 30 g of flour. While constantly stirring to prevent burning, sauté the mixture until golden.

10. 10

    Step 10

    

    Remove the skillet from the heat and gradually pour in the hot milk in a thin stream. Vigorously stir the mixture to avoid lumps and achieve a smooth sauce.

11. 11

    Step 11

    

    Place the skillet over low heat and bring the sauce to a boil. Add nutmeg to taste, salt, and pepper. Add the grated cheese, stir until the mixture thickens. Remove from the stove.

    TipCheese is already salty, so you can add a little less salt to avoid over-salting.

12. 12

    Step 12

    

    Beat the chicken eggs until light and foamy. Pour the egg mixture into the sauce, mix well, and let it cool.

    TipTo cool the sauce faster, you can transfer it to another container.

13. 13

    Step 13

    

    Grease a baking dish with olive oil. Arrange the eggplants as the first layer, then the meat filling and sauce. Arrange the potatoes as the second layer, then the meat filling and sauce. Repeat the layers until the ingredients are used up. Place the moussaka in the oven at 180°C for 30 minutes. If the top of the dish becomes golden too soon, cover the dish with foil and continue baking.

14. 14

    Step 14

    

    Let the moussaka cool slightly before serving, then cut into portions and serve with salad leaves, cherry tomatoes, sprinkled with sliced green onion and grated cheese.