Moussaka

Ingredients

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• 800 g (1.8 lb) eggplant sliced 1/2 inch (1 cm) thick
• 6 tbsp olive oil for brushing
• salt to taste, also for the sauce and béchamel
• 1 tbsp olive oil for the sauce
• 1 yellow onion finely diced
• 500 g (1.1 lb) ground beef or half beef, half lamb
• 2 clove garlic finely minced
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 can diced tomatoes 14-oz (400 g) can, with the juice
• 100 ml (3.4 fl oz) water
• 0.5 tsp ground cinnamon ground
• 1 tsp dried oregano dried
• 1 bay leaf
• 60 g (1/4 cup) butter
• 60 g (1/2 cup) all-purpose flour
• 600 ml (2 1/2 cup) whole milk at room temperature
• 2 egg yolks
• 50 g (1/2 cup) Parmesan or Pecorino, finely grated
• 1 pinch nutmeg freshly grated

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 400 °F (200 °C) on the convection setting. Wash the eggplant, trim off the stem ends and cut into slices 1/2 inch (1 cm) thick. Arrange on two parchment-lined baking sheets, brush both sides with the olive oil and salt lightly.
2. Bake the eggplant for 20 to 25 minutes, flipping the slices and swapping the sheets halfway through, until golden brown and soft.
3. For the sauce, heat the olive oil in a wide pot over medium heat and cook the onion for 4 minutes until soft. Add the ground beef and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring, until crumbly with no pink left and the liquid it released has evaporated. Add the garlic for 30 seconds.
4. Cook the tomato paste for 1 minute, then add the tomatoes, water, cinnamon, oregano, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Simmer uncovered over medium heat for 20 to 25 minutes, until the sauce is thick and a spoon leaves a clear trail along the bottom. Remove the bay leaf.
5. For the béchamel, melt the butter over medium heat, add the flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring, until pale. Whisk in the milk in three additions and simmer for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring, until the sauce is as thick as runny pudding.
6. Take the pot off the heat, season with salt and nutmeg and let it cool for about 2 minutes. Then stir in the egg yolks and cheese; the béchamel must not boil again, or the yolks will curdle.
7. Lower the oven to 350 °F (180 °C) on the convection setting. Lightly grease a 9 x 13-inch (22 x 32 cm) baking dish. Layer in half of the eggplant, spread all of the meat sauce on top, cover with the remaining eggplant and smooth the béchamel over the surface.
8. Bake the moussaka for 40 minutes, until the béchamel is golden brown and the edges bubble. Let it rest for 15 minutes before cutting so the layers can set.

Tip: If you assemble the moussaka the day before and chill it, it needs about 10 minutes more in the oven. It is done when it is hot in the center and bubbling.

Tip: The cinnamon in the meat sauce is traditional but should only be a quiet note. If you are unsure, start with a pinch and taste at the end.

Food safety: Always cook ground meat all the way through: the core temperature at the coldest point must reach at least 158 °F (70 °C) and be held there for at least 2 minutes; use a kitchen thermometer. Do not taste raw ground meat.