moussaka

ingredients - info onions garlic olive oil minced beef or minced lamb all-purpose flour butter vegetable stock red wine

tomato puree eggs parsley aubergines feta cheese parmesan oregano cinnamon cloves nutmeg

Contrary to what one might expect, moussaka is not a dish that is centuries old. It was introduced in the early years of last century by the Greek chef Nicolaos Tselementes. The basis for this dish was and is aubergines and minced lamb, prepared with red wine, herbs and tomatoes. Whoever came up with the wretched idea of using potatoes in moussaka deserves eternal damnation. Probably a practice of dubious restaurant owners to cover up the fact that it contains less (expensive) meat than one would expect.

Sauté chopped onion with crushed garlic in olive oil and add the minced meat. Fry until the meat is grainy. Add tomato puree, red wine and a spice mix of oregano, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. Let this simmer on low heat. Make a roux with butter and flour. Add vegetable stock to make a thick bechamel. Mix with grated feta. Mix three tablespoons of bechamel with an egg, chopped parsley and some grated feta and stir it through the meat preparation. Cut an aubergine into slices and fry them golden brown in olive oil. In an oven dish: a layer of fried aubergines and then the meat preparation. Cover with the rest of the bechamel and grated feta cheese. Put the dish in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes at 185°C.