Moussaka is a rich and hearty eggplant dish filled with warm spices, making it a favorite at Greek restaurants. This recipe features layers of roasted eggplant, Yukon gold potatoes, and a savory lamb ragu, topped with a creamy bechamel sauce.
1: Preheat oven to 400F.
2: Lay the eggplant and potato on two separate baking sheets. Season with olive oil and salt. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Set aside to cool.
3: In a large pot on medium high heat with oil, brown the lamb then add onion and garlic and sauté until translucent. Add salt, Greek freak, cinnamon, and tomato paste and sauté for 1 minute.
4: Deglaze with wine and reduce by half. Add beef stock and reduce by half, then add crushed tomato, bay leaves, and sugar. Bring the mixture up to a simmer, cover, and lower the heat to low for 30 minutes.
5: In another pot, melt butter on medium heat, add flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Slowly whisk in the warm milk and bring it up to a simmer for 3 minutes. Turn off the heat, add nutmeg, salt, pepper, parmesan, and yolks.
6: Remove the bay leaves and cinnamon from the lamb ragu. Add parsley.
7: In a greased 8x12 pan, lay the potatoes first, then half of the eggplant. Add the lamb ragu, followed by the remaining eggplant and finally the béchamel.
8: Lower the oven to 350F and bake for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown.
9: Allow to rest for 15 minutes before serving.
