Moussakà Recipe

The Moussaka because it is masculine not feminine as most people think, is one of the symbolic dishes of Greece but also widespread in the Mediterranean Basin based on aubergines, meat, spices and bechamel.

It seems that its origins are Middle Eastern for the etymology of the word and date back to the Ottoman period, but traces of similar dishes are also found in Egyptian and Jewish cuisine which differs from the typical recipe for béchamel as Kasherut the food rules of the ethnic group prohibit the mixture of meat and milk. We also say that the béchamel was born only in the seventeenth century in France, as a result it is thought to have been added to the recipe long after.

A must of the Greek tradition, that anyone at least once ate it during the holidays in Greece or that must absolutely try if you are guests in Hellenic territory.

Let's say that the recipe is basically one, but according to the areas, as for almost all things in Greece, variants can be made that do not alter the flavor for sure but that can give different retroactive tastes.

The fact remains that Moussakà is a delicious dish, rich and complete, I challenge you to be able to eat something else after a substantial portion of this unique and delicious dish.

Below we give you just two tips to try to get it at home when you feel the nostalgia of Greece

So Kaly orexi or filos mou (good appetite my friends).

INGREDIENTS

1 kg of aubergines
500 gr of potatoes
Peanut oil for frying.

FOR THE BESCIAMELLA

80 grams of butter
100 grams of flour
600 ml of whole milk
1 or 2 eggs according to the quantity you want to make
salt and pepper to taste
sprinkled with nutmeg.

FOR THE RAGU'

EVO oil to taste
1 or 2 onions
2 cloves of garlic
700 grams of minced meat (usually in equal parts of lamb and pork)
1 glass of red wine
400 ml of tomato sauce
salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1 bay leaf, rosemary and a few cloves

PREPARATION

Cut the aubergines into circular slices of one cm., Arrange them in a layered pasta cola sprinkling them between one layer and the other with coarse salt, put a weight on them and let them rest for about two hours in order to release the dark liquid and bitter of eggplants.

Finely chop onion, garlic and put everything to brown in a pan. When the onion begins to brown, add the meat. Brown well and blend with the red wine. Add salt, pepper, bay leaf, rosemary, a few cloves, cinnamon and mix well for a few minutes. Add the tomato puree and with a lid cook for about 1 hour. over low heat.

In the meantime, peel, wash and cut the potatoes into 2 mm slices. Throw them in boiling water for 5 minutes, drain and dry well. Then fry them in abundant peanut oil.

Rinse the aubergines from the salt, dry them and fry in abundant peanut oil.

Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the flour and mix with a wooden spoon until it becomes a beautiful blond color. Pour in the previously cooled milk and with the whisk start mixing. Salt, grind some black pepper and keep on whipping until it becomes thick enough. Remove from the heat and as soon as it has cooled add the egg. Stir to mix the ingredients well, there must be no lumps.

Then take an ovenproof dish, line the bottom with all the potatoes well distributed, take half of the aubergines and make a layer. Then cover them with the ragu and proceed to make another layer alternating eggplant and ragu until almost filling the baking dish.

Finally, cover everything with the béchamel sauce.

Bake at 180 degrees for 45 minutes or until golden brown.

Once baked, leave to cool, cut into slices.