Mousaka Recipe
Make Mousaka Recipe in just 2h . Get the full recipe with step-by-step instructions at pekinthechef.com.
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Ingredients
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Eggplant and potato layer
Meat (ragù) layer
Béchamel (topping)
Assembly & finishing
Method
Eggplant and potato layer
- 1
Prepare vegetables
Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F). Slice eggplants into 1 cm (3/8 in) rounds. Peel potatoes and slice into 1 cm rounds. Lay slices on a tray, lightly salt both sides of eggplant and let sit 15 minutes to draw bitterness; pat dry with paper towels.
- 2
Roast or pan-sear
Brush both sides of eggplant and potato slices with 3 tbs olive oil and season with 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp black pepper (divide between vegetables). Arrange in a single layer on two baking sheets or roast in batches. Roast for 20–25 minutes, flipping once, until golden and tender. Alternatively, pan-sear slices in a hot skillet in batches (about 2–3 minutes per side) to achieve some browning. Set aside on paper towels to drain any excess oil.
Meat (ragù) layer
- 3
- 4
Brown meat
Add the ground lamb (or beef) and break up with a spoon. Cook over medium-high heat until browned and most liquid has evaporated, about 6–8 minutes.
- 5
Simmer sauce
Stir in 2 tbs tomato paste and cook 1–2 minutes. Deglaze with 60 ml red wine if using and let reduce for 1–2 minutes. Add 400 g crushed tomatoes, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp dried oregano, 1 bay leaf, 1.5 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper. Reduce heat to low and simmer gently uncovered for 20–25 minutes until slightly thickened. Taste and adjust seasoning, remove bay leaf. Keep warm.
Béchamel (topping)
- 6
Make roux
In a medium saucepan, melt 60 g unsalted butter over medium heat. Whisk in 60 g all-purpose flour and cook, whisking, for 1–2 minutes to form a blond roux (do not brown).
- 7
Add milk and thicken
Gradually whisk in 700 ml whole milk, a little at a time to avoid lumps. Bring to a gentle simmer, whisking constantly, until the sauce thickens and coats the back of a spoon, about 6–8 minutes.
- 8
Finish béchamel
Remove from heat. Stir in 60 g grated Parmesan, 0.25 tsp ground nutmeg, 0.75 tsp salt and 0.25 tsp black pepper. Temper the 2 egg yolks by whisking a few tablespoons of hot béchamel into them, then whisk the yolks back into the pot to enrich the sauce. Keep warm but do not boil after adding yolks.
Assembly & baking
- 9
Layer the mousaka
Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Grease a 23 x 33 cm (9 x 13 in) baking dish with 1 tbs olive oil. Arrange a single layer of potato slices to cover the bottom. Spoon half of the meat ragù over potatoes and spread evenly. Add a layer of eggplant slices to cover the meat. Spoon remaining ragù over eggplant and smooth. Finish by pouring the béchamel evenly over the top and spreading to cover completely. Sprinkle the extra 20 g grated Parmesan over the béchamel.
- 10
Bake and rest
Bake in the preheated oven for 40–50 minutes until the top is set and golden brown. If the top browns too quickly, loosely tent with foil. Remove from the oven and let rest for at least 20 minutes (this helps the layers set and makes slicing cleaner).
- 11