Moussaka (Ground Lamb Casserole)

Instructions

Prick eggplants several times with a fork. On a large baking sheet, roast eggplants in 400°F oven until soft, 35 to 45 minutes, turning frequently to prevent charring. Cool and slice eggplants into 1/2-inch pieces.

In a sauté pan heat 1/4 cup olive oil and brown eggplant slices, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with salt.

Prepare tomato sauce: In a saucepan heat 1 tbsp. olive oil over medium heat, add 1 chopped onion and 2 chopped garlic cloves and sauté until tender. Add tomatoes and their liquid, squeezing them with your hands into coarse chunks. Add parsley, pepper, oregano, cinnamon and vinegar. Bring tomato sauce to a boil, reduce heat to simmering and cook, uncovered, until thickened, approximately 25 minutes. This yields approximately 3-1/2 cups sauce.

Prepare lamb: Heat 1 tbsp. of olive oil with onions and garlic over medium-high heat; sauté until tender, 5 minutes. Add lamb and brown well, breaking up pieces with a wooden spoon. Add wine, bring to a boil and cook until wine has nearly evaporated. Season meat with salt, pepper and nutmeg, and stir in 1/2 cup tomato sauce. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 1 hour.

Prepare Béchamel: In a saucepan melt butter over medium-low heat and gradually whisk in flour. Cook 1 minute, whisking constantly, but do not let roux brown. Slowly whisk in warm milk. Bring sauce to a slow boil, whisking constantly, then reduce heat to barely simmering and cook 25 minutes, stirring frequently, until smooth and thickened. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Let cool slightly.

In a bowl beat eggs and whisk in a spoonful of sauce to warm. Whisk in remaining sauce in a thin stream and adjust seasoning, if needed. Preheat oven to 350°F.

Assemble moussaka: In a large baking dish (18x8x3-inches) sprinkle 2 tbsp. breadcrumbs and cover evenly with half of eggplant. Drain as much oil from meat mixture as possible and spread over eggplant; top with half of Parmesan, then with half of remaining bread crumbs. Layer remaining eggplant, then Béchamel sauce, remaining Parmesan and remaining breadcrumbs in even layers. Dot top generously with butter. Bake 45 minutes until bubbly and top is well-browned. If necessary, brown top briefly under a preheated broiler. Cool slightly and cut into 3-inch squares to serve. Serve with extra tomato sauce, if desired.

Author's Comments

This is a very leisurely dish. The eggplants can be roasted up to 4 days before and kept in the fridge. The tomato sauce can be made up to 2 days in advance. The whole dish can be made the night before and re-heated in the oven briefly. Since it doesn't need to be served hot, it makes a great party dish.

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