Moussaka

Yes, it's true. After three days of attempting to make this dish and being thwarted by random events like Father's Day, day 4 is the charm and I've finally been able to satisfy my craving for moussaka and make up a nice batch. Normally I'd serve a dish like this for dinner, but I knew I had a window of opportunity this morning and I wasn't taking any chances. It make a lovely lunch, especially when accompanied by traditional side dish, rice pilaf, and a refreshing tomato and cucumber salad.

I know that the origin of this dish is probably Greece, but my mother learned to make moussaka while our family lived in Lebanon, pulling pieces from several different people over a period of time. Over the years she has added this, subtracted that and substituted the other thing until the recipe is what you see below; absolute perfection and totally hers, passed on to me and now shared with you (with her permission).

On to cooking. While moussaka isn't a difficult dish to prepare, it is time consuming and has several steps and uses more than a couple of pans, skillets and dishes. If you have the time and don't mind the clean-up, the results will be well worth it, I promise. After all, if I've been able to hang in there after obstacles that stretched for days got in my way, it must be good.

A few things before I post the recipe. My mom's version called for the eggplant to be browned in oil, adding more as needed. I found that it makes the moussaka incredibly greasy so instead I use olive oil spray. It works just as well and lightens up the dish a lot.  If you remove the aluminum foil and the top doesn't brown in 10 minutes, just turn on the broiler and keep a close eye on the dish. It'll brown right up after that.

Almost finally, you'll see that when making the bechamel sauce, my mom does it in a unique way. Instead of making a roux with the butter and flour, she uses an alcohol shaker to mix a little milk and the flour thoroughly and just pours it in. If you prefer a roux, go for it. I found this so much more simple and it keeps the butter from browning at all so the sauce stays a nice white color.

Finally, finally, the original version of moussaka uses flour to thicken the meat sauce. Oatmeal is used in this version because it helps retain the texture and consistency of the meat better than flour does and is less "visible."

We did have this for lunch and my husband still doesn't like this at all, but our daughter had a go at it and liked it enough to ask for seconds. It's ok that he doesn't like it; it leaves more for us.

Moussaka
an original recipe by my mom, Maria

2 large eggplants, peeled and sliced lengthwise 1/4 inch thick
2 pounds ground chuck
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1/4 cup water
2 teaspoons salt, divided
1 1/4 teaspoon pepper, divided
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup quick-cooking oats
2 1/4 cups milk, divided
3 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup Mozzarella cheese

Lay the peeled and sliced eggplant on a wire rack and sprinkle with salt. Wait 20 minutes for the excess water to sweat out of the vegetable, then pat the eggplant slices dry.

Preheat the oven to 350.

Cook the eggplant. In a large skillet, heat a small amount of the oil to coat over medium heat. Add eggplant slices and saute on each side until golden on both sides. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

Make the meat sauce. Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, saute the onion until tender in 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Add the ground chuck and saute until browned. Drain the fat. Stir in the tomato paste and water and mix well to combine completely. Add the beaten egg, cinnamon, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper and oatmeal. Stir to incorporate. Remove from heat.

Make the bechamel sauce. In a medium saucepan, heat two cups milk and 2 tablespoons butter until simmering gently and the butter is melted. Add the nutmeg, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.  Add the flour and 1/4 cup milk to a shaker and shake until completely combined. Pour into saucepan, stirring continuously until thickened and heated through. Remove from heat.

Put the moussaka together.  In a 9x13 baking dish, lay eggplant slices across the bottom. Cover with the meat mixture, spreading it evenly over the eggplant. Add another layer of eggplant slices over the the meat sauce. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of Mozzarella cheese over the eggplant. Pour the bechamel sauce over the eggplant, gently working the milk into the dish with the back of a wooden spoon.

Bake. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake in a 350 oven for 25 minutes. Remove the foil, sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup Mozzarella cheese on top and bake an additional 10-15 minutes and the cheese is beginning to brown and bubble.  Remove the moussaka from the oven and let sit for approximately 10 minutes before serving.