Moussaka Recipe

Moussaka Recipe

Our classic Moussaka recipe uses Kefalotiri, a hard cheese made with sheep or goat milk, which provides the perfect topping for this dish.

This recipe is property of GreatChefRecipes.com

Ingredients:
2 large eggplants, thinly sliced into discs (around 1/4″)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1.5 lb. ground beef
1 onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 large fresh tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine
3 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
3 tablespoons fresh bread crumbs
2 egg whites
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

For the Topping
3 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 2/3 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 1/4 cup Kefalotiri cheese (you can substitute mature cheddar, or Gruyere)
2 egg yolks
1 whole egg

Directions:
1. Layer the eggplant slices in a colander, sprinkling each layer with salt.
2. Drain over the sink for 20-minutes.
3. Rinse the salt off and pat dry with paper towels.
4. Preheat the oven to 375F.
5. Spread the eggplant slices out on a baking sheet, and brush the tops with oil.
6. Bake for 10-minutes, remove and cool.
7. Heat the oil in a large pan over medium-high heat.
8. Add the beef and brown.
9. Add the onions and garlic and cook for 5-minutes.
10. Add the fresh tomatoes and stir in the wine.
11. Season mixture with salt and pepper.
12. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat, cover and simmer for 15-minutes.
13. Remove the pan from the heat, uncover and let it cool for 10-minutes.
14. Add the parsley, bread crumbs and egg whites to the meat mixture.
15. Grease a large baking dish, then spread out 1/2 of the sliced eggplants in an even layer on the base.
16. Spoon the meat mixture on top of the eggplants, and even it out.
17. Top the meat with the remaining eggplant slices.
18. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, heat the butter, flour and milk (constantly whisking).
19. Once the mixture comes to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for 2-minutes.
20. Remove the pan from the heat, season, then stir in nutmeg and 1/2 of the cheese.
21. Cool for 5-minutes, then beat in the egg yolks and whole egg.
22. Pour the sauce over the eggplant topping and sprinkle with remaining cheese.
23. Bake for 40-45 minutes.
24. Allow dish to stand for 10-minutes before serving.

Wine Pairings:
We preface all of our wine pairing suggestions by letting you know that it’s really a matter of personal taste. While we do offer our opinions and why we selected a specific varietal, there is no right or wrong answer when pairing a wine with your dinner.

Pinot Noir Wine
This moussaka recipe would go great with the cherry notes of a Pinot Noir. Pinot Noir wines are generally lighter red wines without much oak. I feel that the dark cherry, unoaked flavors of a Pinot Noir would compliment the meat’s flavors. Follow the link to our wine review site to find our favorite Pinot Noir wines-LetsHaveWine.com

Have you tried this recipe? If so, leave us your comments below!