Moussaka
Greece’s great baked dish: layers of fried aubergine, minced meat with tomato and cinnamon and a thick béchamel on top. It’s baked until golden and left to rest before cutting.
Ingredients
- 3 aubergines
- 2 potatoes (optional, for the base)
- 600 g minced lamb or beef
- 1 onion and 2 garlic cloves
- 400 g crushed tomatoes
- 100 ml red wine
- 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon and 1 bay leaf
- For the béchamel: 60 g butter, 60 g flour, 700 ml milk, 2 yolks, nutmeg and 50 g grated cheese
- Olive oil, salt and pepper
How to make it at home
- Slice the aubergines, salt them and leave them to sweat for 30 minutes. Pat them dry and fry them or roast them in the oven with oil.
- Fry the onion and garlic, add the meat and brown it. Pour in the wine, add the tomato, cinnamon and bay leaf and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Make the béchamel: melt the butter, cook the flour, gradually add the hot milk and cook until thick. Off the heat, add the yolks, nutmeg and cheese.
- In a dish, add a layer of fried potato slices (if using), then aubergine, the meat and another layer of aubergine. Cover with the béchamel.
- Bake at 180 °C for about 45 minutes, until golden. Leave to rest for 20 minutes before cutting.
The trick: Resting is key: if you cut it straight out of the oven, it falls apart.