Greek Moussaka

By á-2360

You will want to slice your egg plants exactly like the photo to the right. Your going to layer these in your Moussaka later. Once you have sliced all your egg plants into thin slices sprinkle the egg plant on both sides with salt and let it stand for 45 minutes. Then you want to wash your egg plant slices and prepare a couple of baking sheets or pans by spraying them with Pam. Pre heat your oven to 350 degrees and with a brush apply a thin coating of olive oil to each slice of egg plant on both sides as you lay it on the pans. Bake your egg plant slices for aprox 30-45 minutes until it starts to brown. Remove from oven and put aside until you have cooked all your egg plant.

Ingredients

• 1 . 4-6 Egg Plants sliced thin and prepared by above instructions.
• 2 . Olive Oil and Kitchen Brush to brush the egg plant with.
• 3 . 4 - 6 Oz. White Bread Crumbs
• 4 . 16 OZ. Feta Cheese Grated
• To Make The Bechamel Sauce
• A. 4 Oz. Real Butter Not Margarine
• B. 4 OZ. Plain Flour
• C. 1 Pint Of Warm Milk
• D. Salt And Freshly Ground White Pepper
• E. 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
• F. 3 Large Egg Yolks
• For The Meat Sauce.
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 4 Onions, Fine Chopped
• 2 Pound lean minced lamb
• 2 16 oz cans chopped tomatoes
• 3 Teaspoons Fresh Ground Garlic
• 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
• 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Allspice
• Salt and Freshly Ground White Pepper, To Taste
• 4 Tablespoons Tomato Paste

Preparation

Step 1

In order to make your Bechamel Sauce you want to start with a large non stick sauce pan or pot and on low to medium heat add your butter to the pan. When the butter is melted stir in your flour and stir well. Let it cook for a couple of minutes after you add your flour stirring well and remove from heat.
Add in your warm milk gradually to the butter / flour mixture stirring it well to prevent it from lumping up. You will want to use a wire whisk.
Return the pot or pan with your Bechamel Sauce in it to the heat and slowly bring it up to a boil. Remove it from the heat and add in the nutmeg , salt and pepper.
Cool your sauce a bit and then stir in your egg yolks. Put a lid on your pot or pan and set aside.
In a large sauce pan or frying pan put some olive oil and heat it up. Then add in your chopped onions and cook until tender. Now add in your lamb and stir frequently until your lamb is no longer pink. Add in your tomatos , garlic , and season with salt and pepper. Add in your tomato paste and a little water if your sauce is to thick. Remove from heat and set aside.
In a 13X9 Baking Dish that you have sprayed with pam put your white bread crumbs in a layer across the bottom of the pan. Place a layer of egg plant , some sauce and feta cheese and keep doing this until your pan is almost full. You want to end up with space for a generous layer of feta cheese and then top with Bechamel Sauce. Cover with tin foil and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 1 hour. Remove from oven and let it set at room temp. for 45 minutes before you slice and serve. You can freeze Moussaka either cooked or uncooked and it keeps well in the freezer either way.