This Moussaka is built with layers of a ground lamb & beef tomato sauce, roasted eggplant slices, sliced potatoes and all layered with a feta cream sauce. The spices are ‘Eastern’: cinnamon, allspice, cumin with a few diced dried apricots for sweetness. The sauce is like an Italian Bolognese sauce, just flavored differently. It’s a dish that will require some time in the kitchen, for which you will be amply rewarded.
FYI- I used a 9 x 12-inch baking dish. Happy Easter! Kalo Pascha! data-pin-do=)
MOUSSAKA by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan
April 13, 2022
It’s a Greek ‘lasagna’ with eggplant, no pasta and I’ll be making it for Easter Sunday Brunch. This is my first attempt at making it, so I read countless online recipes and what follows is my interpretation.
So, please don’t be offended if it’s not particularly ‘authentic...but it’s what chefs do - interpret and put our own spin on things. (insert smiley face here...)
This Moussaka is built with layers of a ground lamb & beef tomato sauce, roasted eggplant slices, sliced potatoes and all layered with a feta cream sauce. The spices are ‘Eastern’: cinnamon, allspice, cumin with a few diced dried apricots for sweetness. The sauce is like an Italian Bolognese sauce, just flavored differently. It’s a dish that will require some time in the kitchen, for which you will be amply rewarded.
FYI- I used a 9 x 12-inch baking dish. Happy Easter! Kalo Pascha!
- Prep: 1 hrs 30 mins
- Cook: 50 mins
- Yields: 8-12 servings.
Ingredients
2 whole eggplants, about 2-pounds total weight
3-each russet or Yukon gold potatoes, about 2-pounds total weight 1 cup finely diced Spanish or sweet onion
5 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
12 tablespoons (3/4 cup) extra virgin olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 can, 28-ounces, peeled plum tomatoes, with their juices 2-ounces dried apricots (about 15 pieces), finely chopped
1-2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, plus more to taste
3⁄4 teaspoon ground cumin
1⁄2 teaspoon allspice (or substitute 1⁄4 teaspoons ground nutmeg)
2 teaspoons dried oregano, divided Bay leaves
3 cups light cream
1 1⁄2 cups crumbled feta cheese
1 tablespoon softened butter to grease the baking dish Kosher salt Ground black pepper
2-each sheet pans and 2-sheets parchment paper
Directions
Begin by prepping all your ingredients before beginning the assembly. And preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
THE EGGPLANT:
Peel the eggplant and cut into 1⁄4-inch slices. Line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper and drizzle 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil on each pan. Spread out the oil with the back of a spoon. Divide the sliced eggplant between the two pans. Drizzle another 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil over the slices on each pan. Sprinkle the slices with kosher salt. Roast the slices for 15-25 minutes, depending on their thickness, until just cooked through. Err on the side of under-roasting. (If overcooked they will be difficult to get off the pan without falling apart.) When cooked, remove from oven and let cool.
THE MEAT SAUCE:
Choose a large sauce pan and heat 3-4 tablespoons of olive oil in the bottom of the pan. Don’t let it get so hot that it begins to smoke; when the oil begins to ‘shimmer’, it’s hot enough. Add the diced onions and a pinch of salt. Cook and stir until onions are softened and translucent. Add the garlic and another tablespoon of olive oil. Add some dried spices at this point: add 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1⁄2 teaspoon ground cumin and 1⁄4 teaspoon allspice (or nutmeg if using). Stir the spices into the onion-oil mix and cook on medium- low heat until the spices become fragrant. Add the tomato paste and cook for 2-3 minutes more. The tomato paste will ‘caramelize’ and turn deep red in color.
Now add the ground meats. Use a spoon to break up the meat in the pot. Add 1 teaspoon kosher salt and a couple
twists of the pepper mill. Continue to cook until meat is browned. Add the can of plum tomatoes. Add a 1⁄2 can of water as well. Add 2 bay leaves and I teaspoon dried oregano. Stir to mix completely. Turn heat to low and cook at a bare simmer for about 40-45 minutes. Adjust thickness by adding small amounts of water. Add the chopped dried apricots. Stir and taste: add more salt and pepper to taste. Add more spices to taste. It should taste of the cinnamon and cumin, so don’t be afraid to add more. BUT, just add a small-pinch-at-a-time. It’s easier to add more, than try to compensate for over-doing the spices.
Cook and simmer until it tastes delicious, and the texture is a bit thickened. Set aside.
THE FETA CREAM:
Most of the recipes I investigated made a bechamel sauce- a French milk-based sauce bound with a ‘roux’; that is, a flour-butter paste. I have opted for a quicker cream sauce with melted feta. In a saucepan, bring 3-cups of light cream to a simmer. Don’t boil. Remove from the heat and add 1 teaspoon dried oregano, a pinch of salt and some fresh-cracked pepper. Still, off-heat, whisk in the crumbled feta cheese. It won’t totally dissolve but the cream will thicken. Set aside.
THE POTATOES:
Again, most of the recipes I read used mashed potatoes in the dish. I have opted for using thinly sliced potatoes
and layering them into the dish...for a bit more texture, less prep and maybe a few less calories. Peel the potatoes and thinly slice into 1/8th inch slices with your chef’s knife or a use a mandoline slicer if you have one (BTW- there are inexpensive Japanese models available; it’s a good kitchen tool to invest in.) ***see below Slip the sliced potatoes into a bowl of water until you are ready to proceed with building the Moussaka.
CONSTUCTION & BAKING:
Liberally butter the bottom and sides of your chosen baking dish. Drain the potatoes and pat dry-they don’t need to be completely dry. Layer 1/3rd of the potatoes in the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle the potatoes with kosher salt and pepper. Spoon some feta cream over the potatoes. Go gently so as not to move the potatoes. Add 1⁄2 of the cooked eggplant slices as the next layer. Then spoon on some tomato sauce, spreading out the sauce while trying not to ‘disturb’ the layers. Repeat. Add another layer of sliced potatoes, season them, cover with some feta cream, add the rest of the sliced eggplant and then the tomato sauce. For the final layer, add the rest of the potatoes and season them but cover with the tomato sauce. Dollop the rest of the feta cream on top of the casserole. It will brown in the oven and give the dish a nice finish. Bake the dish in a pre-heated oven at 350 degrees. It’s a good idea to put the casserole dish on a sheet pan in case it gets ‘excited’ and bubbles over. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a knife inserted into the casserole easily pierces through the potatoes. Remove casserole dish from oven and let ‘rest’ for at least 20 minutes. Serve and enjoy warm.
***BENRINER Japanese vegetable slicer
