An extremely popular lamb and eggplants recipe, national dish in Greece, it is so delicious that it is used in all the Balkans and eastern Mediterranean.
Ingredients (for 2)
- 1 eggplant
- 1 cup ground lamb
- 1 red tomato
- 6 tbsp wheat flour
- 1/3 cup beef stock
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 2/3 cup milk
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp bay leaves
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 garlic clove
- 1/2 onion
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- salt & pepper
Directions
- First off, cut the eggplants into 1 cm (½ inches) slices; then you can decide to grill them (for a healthier choice) or fry them in olive oil (for a tastier result)
- Once you have golden brown slices of eggplant (drained from oil), prepare the sauce: take a sauce pan and heat the butter, stir in the flour and slowly the hot milk
- Continue to stir over low heat until the sauce becomes thick
- Remove from the heat and add the ground nutmeg and beaten egg yolks
- Season with salt and pepper, stir to combine and reserve aside
- Heat the olive oil in a skillet and stir fry the diced onions until tender, add the ground lamb and keep stir frying until crumbly
- Add the crushed garlic, bay leaves, stock, and tomato paste, and stir to combine
- Cover, reduce the heat, and simmer for 30 minutes
- Preheat the oven to 180 °C (350 °F) and oil a casserole with some olive oil
- Lay half of the eggplant slices on the bottom of the casserole, then pour the lamb mixture over and top with another layer of eggplant slices
- Peel red tomatoes (you can boil it for a few seconds in hot water and the skin will come off easily) and dice them finely
- Sprinkle the diced tomatoes on top of the eggplants with some oregano
- Pour the milk sauce evenly on top of the tomatoes and finish with some grated parmesan cheese on top
- Bake for 45-60 minutes or until the cheese on top is nicely brown and melted
- Remove from oven, let it rest for 10 minutes and your Mussaka is ready to be served!
Tips from the Chef
- The milk sauce should be creamy; if the sauce is too liquid, add some more flour, if it is too thick add some more milk and stir
- Use small and succulent red tomatoes
Cambooza 