Recipe
Moussaka
The great Greek casserole: salted and baked eggplant, a cinnamon-scented lamb and beef ragù, and a thick béchamel enriched with egg yolks that bakes into a golden crown. The long rest at the end is part of the recipe.
Moussaka takes about 130 minutes and makes 6 servings. Each serving has 750 kcal.
- Preparation
- 40 minutes
- Cooking
- 90 minutes
- Total time
- 130 minutes
- Servings
- 6
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 750 kcal
- Protein
- 31 g
- Carbohydrates
- 31 g
- Fat
- 52 g
Ingredients
- Eggplant1 kg
- Ground lamb400 g
- Ground beef300 g
- Red onion1 pc
- Garlic3 cloves
- Canned peeled tomatoes400 g
- Tomato paste1 tbsp
- Dry red wine100 ml
- Cinnamon1 tsp
- Bay leaf1 pc
- Olive oil4 tbsp
- Butter80 g
- All-purpose flour80 g
- Milk800 ml
- Egg yolks2 pcs
- Parmesan60 g
- Nutmeg1 pinch
- Salt1 pinch
- Pepper1 pinch
Instructions
- 1
Slice the eggplant into 1 cm rounds, salt generously on both sides and leave in a colander for 30 minutes to weep.
- 2
Pat the slices dry, brush with olive oil and bake at 220 °C for 25 minutes, turning once, until golden and supple.
- 3
Meanwhile brown the lamb and beef hard in a wide pot, then add the chopped onion and garlic and soften them.
- 4
Pour in the wine and scrape the bottom, then add tomatoes, tomato paste, cinnamon and bay leaf; simmer for 30 minutes until thick, with no free liquid.
- 5
Start the béchamel: melt the butter, whisk in the flour and cook the roux for 2 minutes, whisking constantly.
- 6
Add the warm milk in stages, whisking each addition smooth, and simmer for 5 minutes until thick like custard; season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
- 7
Let the béchamel cool for a few minutes, then whisk in the egg yolks and half the cheese.
Tip: The sauce must be warm, not hot - whisk fast as the yolks go in, or they scramble and the crown loses its shine.
- 8
Layer in a deep dish: half the eggplant, all the ragù, the rest of the eggplant, then the béchamel; scatter the remaining cheese on top.
- 9
Bake at 180 °C for 45 minutes, until the top is deeply golden and set.
- 10
Rest for a full 30 minutes before cutting.
Tip: Do not rush this - cut too soon and the layers slide apart into a stew. After 30 minutes the squares hold their shape.
Cooking methods
On the stove
The ragù wants a heavy, wide pot: brown the meat over high heat in batches so it fries instead of stewing, then drop to a lazy simmer. For the béchamel, medium-low heat and constant whisking into the corners of the pot prevent scorching.
On induction
Brown the meat at power 8 of 9, simmer the ragù at 3, and make the béchamel at 4–5 - induction holds heat in the pot base, so pull it off the zone if the sauce starts catching. Baking is standard oven work.
Over an open fire
The ragù is happy in a Dutch oven over embers, and the eggplant chars beautifully on a grate. The béchamel and the final bake, however, need steady controlled heat - a covered Dutch oven with embers on the lid works, but the oven is safer for the custard top.
Recipe questions
- How long does this recipe take?
- Plan for about 130 minutes from start to finish.
- How many servings does this recipe make?
- This recipe makes 6 servings.
- Can I cook this recipe on induction?
- Yes. Brown the meat at power 8 of 9, simmer the ragù at 3, and make the béchamel at 4–5 - induction holds heat in the pot base, so pull it off the zone if the sauce starts catching. Baking is standard oven work.
- Can I cook this recipe over an open fire?
- Yes. The ragù is happy in a Dutch oven over embers, and the eggplant chars beautifully on a grate. The béchamel and the final bake, however, need steady controlled heat - a covered Dutch oven with embers on the lid works, but the oven is safer for the custard top.
In the app
Cooking the way it should feel
One step on screen, a timer that keeps going, and clear progress until the dish is done.
