Moussaka Recipe

prepare eggplants

Preheat oven to 220°C (425°F). Trim eggplants and slice into 1–1.5 cm rounds or 1 cm thick lengthwise slices. Brush both sides lightly with 2 tbs olive oil, arrange on a baking sheet in a single layer, sprinkle with a pinch of salt, and roast until golden and tender, 18–25 minutes, flipping once. Alternatively, pan-fry slices in batches in a skillet with oil until browned. Set aside on paper towel to drain.

dice aromatics

Peel and finely chop the onion. Peel and grate or finely dice the carrots. Trim and thinly slice celery. Core and seed the red bell pepper and dice. Peel and mince the garlic.

In a large, heavy-bottomed sauté pan or Dutch oven, heat 2 tbs olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, carrots and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and slightly caramelized, about 8–10 minutes. Add the diced red pepper and cook 3–4 minutes more. Stir in minced garlic and cook 30–60 seconds until fragrant.

To the softened aromatics in the pan, add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, 1–2 minutes to develop flavor. Pour in the red wine (if using) and scrape any browned bits from the bottom; simmer until the wine reduces by half, about 2–3 minutes.

Add the canned tomatoes: crush them by hand or with a spoon as you add them. Stir in the drained chickpeas, vegetable stock (or water), brown sugar, dried oregano, ground cinnamon, smoked paprika, bay leaf, salt and black pepper. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low and cook, partially covered, for 20–25 minutes until flavors meld and the sauce thickens. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Remove and discard the bay leaf. If you prefer a smoother stew, lightly mash some chickpeas with the back of a spoon or pulse a portion in a blender and return; leave some whole for texture. Stir in chopped parsley and 1 tbs extra olive oil.

Lower oven temperature to 180°C (350°F). In a 23 x 33 cm (9 x 13 in) baking dish, spread a thin layer (about 1/3) of the tomato-chickpea stew on the bottom to prevent sticking.

Arrange a single layer of roasted eggplant slices over the stew. Spoon another 1/3 of the stew over the eggplant and spread evenly. Repeat with another layer of eggplant if you have enough, finishing with the remaining stew. The assembled layers should be compact but not overfilled.

Make the béchamel while the dish rests: warm the milk in a saucepan until just below simmering (do not boil). In a separate medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk continuously for 1–2 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste (roux).

Gradually pour the warm milk into the roux, whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, 5–7 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in nutmeg, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper.

Temper the egg yolks: whisk yolks in a small bowl. Slowly add 2–3 tbs of the hot béchamel into the yolks while whisking to raise their temperature, then whisk the yolk mixture back into the main béchamel pot. Stir in 40–60 g grated Parmesan (reserve some for topping) if using. The sauce should be thick but pourable; if too thick, loosen with a splash of milk.

Pour the béchamel over the assembled moussaka, smoothing the top with a spatula. Sprinkle remaining grated cheese evenly over the béchamel.

Bake the moussaka in the preheated 180°C (350°F) oven for 35–45 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and bubbling at the edges. If the top browns too quickly, loosely tent with foil for the remaining time.

Remove from the oven and let rest at least 15 minutes (preferably 20–30 minutes) to set. This makes slicing cleaner. Garnish with chopped parsley before serving.