My first attempt making Moussaka

Moussaka is one of the dishes I enjoyed when I visited Greece this past November. Once I came home, I was determined to make it for my kids. I found several recipes, and all of them called for the same main ingredients. In some recipes, the vegetables were fried, while others had them baked.  I opted for the latter.

For our Christmas brunch, I made the moussaka and it turned out as delicious as the authentic one I tasted in Greece.  Let me share how I prepared this delicious meal.

The ingredients I used

3 eggplants

4 potatoes

For the meat sauce

1 lb. ground meat

2 tbsp of Haitian spice  (A blend of garlic, bell pepper, scallion, scotch bonnet pepper,  vinegar, scallions, cloves, and parsley leaves)

1 tbsp olive oil

2 tsp oregano

½ tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp nutmeg

½ cup of red wine

about 1 cup of tomato sauce

1 onion diced

1 bell pepper diced

For the bechamel sauce

3 tbsp butter

2 cups of milk

3 tbsp flour

1/8 tsp Nutmeg

Salt and pepper

1 cup of parmesan cheese

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees

Step 1

I first boiled the potatoes, sliced them ¼ inch thick, and set them aside.

Step 2

I sliced the eggplant ¼ inch thick. I brushed them with olive oil and sprinkled salt and pepper on both sides. I placed them on a baking sheet and cooked them in the oven for about 7 minutes per side.

Step 3

I seasoned the ground meat with my Haitian spice. In a large saucepan, I sweat the diced onion and bell pepper with some salt in the olive oil over medium heat. Then I added the ground meat and cooked it until it was golden brown. Next, I added the oregano, cinnamon, and nutmeg. I added the red wine, then the tomato sauce. I checked for the seasoning, then turned off the fire, and set the sauce aside.

Step 4

I prepared the bechamel sauce.  I melted the butter in another saucepan over medium heat. I added the flour and whisked it to make a paste. Then I added the milk slowly.  Once it is thickened, I added the nutmeg, salt, pepper, and cheese.

Assembling the moussaka was the final step.  I preheated the oven to 350 degrees F.  I greased my baking dish.  I started with a layer of potatoes, sprinkled with parmesan cheese.  Then I added the eggplant, sprinkled with more Parmesan cheese.  Then I added the meat sauce and I finished with the bechamel sauce and sprinkled more parmesan cheese. Finally, I baked it for 50 minutes.