Moussaka

I absolutely love this dish, and will almost always order it at a Greek restaurant (kinda predictable that way). With the Killarney crew coming over, and Will otherwise engaged, I can make dishes to my heart's conent. (He doesn't like eggplant. Tragic, I know).

Anyhoo. How convenient that I'd recently gotten a new pyrex dish: 9x13, that was absolutely perfect for my last batch of lasagne ^^. I got this recipe here, and made a couple of changes. Hopefully, it'll still be ok.



Ingredients:
~1 lb potatoes
~ 4lbs eggplant
4 slices of bread, processed into crumbs
8 egg whites

4 cups ground beef
2 onions, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup red wine
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 can (14 oz) crushed tomatoes
salt and pepper to taste

1 cup grated cheese


Bechamel Sauce:
1 cup salted butter
1 cup flour
4 cups milk, warmed
8 egg yolks, lightly beaten
1 tsp cinnamon



Method:
Peel and boil the potatoes until they are just done. Drain, let cool in the pot and slice into 5mm thickness.

Peel the eggplants so there are alternating strips of peel left on them. Slice to 5mm thickness. (I just used the thick slice insert of the v-slicer)

Preheat oven to 400F.
Line baking sheet with foil and lightly grease.
Add a splash of water to egg whites and lightly beat with a fork.
Dip eggplant slices in the egg whites, then coat with bread crumbs.
Bake in batches for 15 minutes on each side.
Remove from oven and lower temperature to 350F.


Meat Sauce:
In a large pot or pan, brown the beef.
Add onion and saute until translucent.
Add garlic and cook until fragrant.
Add wine and allow it to simmer and reduce a bit.
Add cinnamon and crushed tomatoes.
Simmer uncovered to reduce. (~15 minutes) to a thick sauce. 
Season to taste with salt and pepper.


Bechamel Sauce:
In a double boiler, or metal bowl over simmering water, melt butter. Add salt if using unsalted butter to taste.
Using a whisk, add flour, whisking continuously to make a smooth paste. Cook for a minute, but do not brown.
Add warmed milk in a steady stream, whisking continuously.
Simmer until it thickens a bit, but does not boil.
Remove from heat and stir in beaten egg yolks and pinch of nutmeg.
Return to heat and stir until sauce thickens.


Assemble moussaka:
Lightly grease a baking pan. (I used a 9x13 and a 8x8). Layer like so:
- potatoes
- eggplant
- meat sauce, reamaining egg whites
- cheese
- eggplant

Pour bechamel sauce over the eggplant.

Bake at 350F for 45 minutes or until bechamel is golden brown.
Cool for 15-20 minutes before slicing and serving.


Comments:
You can make this ahead of time and refridgerate. Just make the bechamel sauce when you're about to bake it.

Make sure the cinnamon you have is fragrant. I personally think the cinnamon makes the dish, so use more if the cinnamon is not coming through.

We had red wine on hand (a leftover bottle of a mix that wasn't very good for drinking), but if you don't have it, I don't think it'd be a huge deal; just make sure to add some sugar. Wine generally helps to bring out flavours and make it fuller bodied.

The original recipe just called for the bechamel sauce to be heated over low heat. I went with double boiler to be safe, as it is more forgiving of momentary lapses.


Verdict:
Good, if I do say so myself ^^