Description
Indulge in the flavors of Greece with this Outrageously Delicious Greek Moussaka recipe. Layers of savory beef, fried vegetables, and creamy béchamel sauce come together to create a truly satisfying dish.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Beef Layer
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 large White Onion, finely diced
- 2 cloves of Garlic, finely diced
- 1.6lb / 750g Ground/Minced Beef (preferably fairly lean)
- 2 heaped tbsp Tomato Paste (Tomato Puree in UK)
- 1/2 cup / 120ml Dry Red Wine (can sub more beef stock)
- 1 cup / 240ml Tomato Passata (pureed/strained tomatoes in US)
- 1 cup / 240ml Beef Stock
- 1/4 cup finely diced Fresh Parsley, plus extra to serve
- 1 tbsp finely diced Fresh Thyme Leaves
- 2 small or 1 large Bay Leaf
- 3/4 tsp Salt, or to taste
- 1/2 tsp Sugar
- 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp Black Pepper, or to taste
Béchamel Sauce
- 4oz / 120g Unsalted Butter
- 4oz / 120g Plain Flour
- 4 cups / 1litre Milk, at room temp
- 1/2 tsp Salt, or to taste
- 1/2 small Nutmeg, grated (or 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg)
- 1/4 tsp White Pepper
- 1 cup / 80g freshly grated Pecorino Romano, plus extra to serve (Kefalotiri Cheese is traditional, can also sub parmesan)
- 2 Egg Yolks
Veg Layers (see notes for baking version)
- 2 cups / 480ml Vegetable or Olive Oil, or enough to cover veg in the pan
- 1.6lb / 750g (approx 2 large) Baking Potatoes, peeled & sliced around 1/4″
- 1lb / 500g (approx 2 medium) Zucchini/Courgettes, sliced into approx 1/3″ strips (I do lengthways)
- 2lb / 1kg (approx 4 smallish) Eggplants/Aubergine, sliced around 1/3″ thickness (I do lengthways but you can make more smaller rounds if you wish)
- few pinches of Parsley & Pecorino (to sprinkle in between layers)
- Salt & Pepper, as needed
Instructions
- Beef Layer: Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large pan or pot over medium heat. Add the onion and fry until soft and golden, then add in the garlic and fry for a minute or so longer. Add in the beef and fry until completely browned, breaking it up with your wooden spoon as you go. Stir in the tomato paste and fry for a couple of mins, then pour in the wine. Deglaze the pan if needed, then pour in the passata and beef stock. Add in the parsley, thyme, cinnamon, salt, sugar, pepper & bay leaf and give it a good stir. Keep on a gentle simmer for around 30mins, stirring occasionally until nice and thick.
- PREP Veg Layer: Rest a few sheets of paper towel in a row on a flat surface and lay on the eggplant slices. Rub a pinch of salt over both sides, then add two layers of paper towels on top. On top of that, add the zucchini slices, followed by another layer of paper towel. Finish with the potato slices and another layer of paper towel on top. Gently press down to soak up the moisture from all of the layers. You can use tea towels instead if you wish.
- COOK Veg Layer: Heat up enough oil to cover the veg in a suitably sized pan until it gently sizzles (you’re aiming for around 150C/300F). Carefully start sliding in the potato slices and fry both sides until lightly golden, with the potato fork-tender. Remove the slices, shake off excess oil, and place on fresh paper towel. Increase the oil temp slightly to around 170C/340F and fry the zucchini slices until softened & lightly browned, then finish with the eggplant slices. Leave everything to drain on paper towels to soak up as much excess oil as possible (important). You can use two pans to speed things up or bake one or two of the veg (see notes).
- Béchamel Sauce: Melt the butter in a suitably sized pot over medium heat. Stir in the flour to create a roux, then gradually begin pouring in the milk, whisking as you go to avoid lumps forming. Once you’ve poured in all the milk and the sauce is thick, stir in the salt, white pepper, and nutmeg. If it’s still looking thin just simmer a little longer until it thickens up – it should comfortably coat the back of your spoon (see video for reference). Take the pot off the heat and stir in the pecorino until the sauce is lump-free, then quickly whisk in the egg yolks. Take 1/2 cup of the sauce and stir it into the beef.
- Stack Moussaka: Add a layer of potato to the baking dish (overlapping as needed) and sprinkle over a hefty pinch of parsley, pecorino, salt & pepper. Follow with zucchini and parsley/pecorino/salt/pepper, then half of the eggplant with a pinch of salt and pepper. Try and close all the gaps and make it all nice and compact. Spread over the beef layer, top with the rest of the eggplant, then top with the Béchamel sauce.
- Cook & Serve Moussaka: Finish with a sprinkling of pecorino, then place in the oven at 180C/350F for 35-45mins, or until golden/lightly charred on top. I highly recommend leaving it to sit for at least 15mins, just to help it keep its shape (it will stay hot longer than you think). Serve up and enjoy!
Notes
- Baked Veg – You can bake the eggplant, zucchini, and potato instead of frying if you wish. You can also bake some of it (i.e. the potatoes) as you fry the eggplant/zucchini to save time. Here’s what I recommend if you bake:
- Prep Ahead – You can definitely prep the beef part ahead of time, just cool and tightly store in the fridge overnight (or freeze up to a month), then allow coming back to room temp before stirring through Béchamel and stacking. If you want to prep the whole thing ahead of time, just make up until baking, then tightly cover in the fridge overnight, then bring to room temp and bake as needed. Can also freeze, just thaw and bake as needed.
- Make Ahead – You can bake the whole things ahead of time, just allow to completely cool, then store in the fridge for 3-4days (can also freeze for a month). Thaw then bring to room temp before covering in foil and baking for around 30mins, or until piping hot again through the center. You could bake straight from the fridge, but I find it’s sometimes difficult to cook it right through the center without the outside burning.
- Frying/Oil – Because you don’t fry at a super high temp, you can use olive oil. This will add a good punch of flavor, almost like a gentle zing of spice. Vegetable oil will give you much more of a neutral flavor. I usually go for olive oil if I’ve not got much oil (i.e. shallow frying), but use vegetable oil if I’ve got a much bigger pot and deep fry with bigger batches.
- Calories – assuming 5% beef, 1/4cup olive oil soaked up by veg and divided by 8 people. Calories for 1 portion.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 portion
- Calories: Approximately 480 calories
- Sugar: Approximately 4g
- Sodium: Approximately 730mg
- Fat: Approximately 29g
- Saturated Fat: Approximately 13g
- Unsaturated Fat: Approximately 14g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: Approximately 30g
- Fiber: Approximately 3g
- Protein: Approximately 23g
- Cholesterol: Approximately 145mg
