Moussaka

Thanksgiving week. Carol and Dustin’s dad drove in from Memphis Tuesday evening. Mama drove up from Sapulpa Wednesday morning. Cody closed the cafe for Thanksgiving Day and drove up Thursday morning. Aunt Linda and Roy drove up Thursday at nine AM. Twelve people at our apartment Thursday afternoon for the Thanksgiving dinner: us three, Carol and Dustin’s dad, Mama, Cody, Aunt Linda and Roy, plus Tracy Patton with her husband Mike and Marlee who joined us at four PM after their own Patton-family early dinner. Brayden is sixty weeks old.

The moussaka was the Sunday-before-Thanksgiving home dinner — the small thing I cooked just for us before the big-multi-grandparent week began. Moussaka is the Greek layered casserole — eggplant, ground lamb, tomato, Béchamel, baked in a deep casserole dish at three-fifty for an hour until the top is golden and the layers have set. The dish is one of the items Cody is considering for the pop-up’s winter rotation.

The technique on moussaka is the eggplant salting. The slices need to sit in a colander with salt for thirty minutes before cooking — the salt draws out the moisture, which keeps the finished casserole from being watery. The salted slices are then patted dry and lightly browned in olive oil before going into the layers. Skip the salting step and the moussaka is mushy. Do the salting and the eggplant holds its shape.

Sunday I made it. Dustin had two squares. Brayden had a small portion of plain lamb-and-tomato (no eggplant, no Béchamel). The dish carried us through Sunday dinner and Monday lunch and made room in the meal-planning for the week of Thanksgiving cooking to come.

Moussaka

Prep Time: 30 min | Cook Time: 1 hr | Total Time: 1 hr 30 min | Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 2 medium eggplants, sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 1 lb ground beef or ground lamb
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 can (14.5 oz) crushed tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 egg yolks

Instructions

1. Salt the eggplant. Lay eggplant slices on a baking sheet, sprinkle generously with salt, and let sit 15 minutes to draw out moisture. Pat dry with paper towels.
2. Roast the eggplant. Preheat oven to 400°F. Brush eggplant slices with 1 tablespoon olive oil and arrange on baking sheets in a single layer. Roast for 20 minutes, flipping once, until golden and tender. Set aside.
3. Cook the meat sauce. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook until softened, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more. Add ground meat and cook, breaking it up, until browned. Drain excess fat. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, cinnamon, oregano, salt, and pepper. Simmer uncovered for 15 minutes until thickened.
4. Make the béchamel. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in nutmeg and half the Parmesan, then whisk in egg yolks until smooth.
5. Assemble. Reduce oven to 375°F. In a greased 9x13 baking dish, layer half the eggplant slices, then all of the meat sauce, then the remaining eggplant. Pour béchamel evenly over the top and sprinkle with remaining Parmesan.
6. Bake. Bake uncovered for 35–40 minutes until the top is set and golden brown. Let rest at least 15 minutes before slicing and serving.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 420 | Protein: 24g | Fat: 26g | Carbs: 22g | Fiber: 4g | Sodium: 520mg