Moussaka stands as the national treasure of Greek cuisine, revered for its flavorful layers and comforting essence. This iconic dish is a beloved medley of sliced aubergine (eggplant), seasoned minced lamb (or beef), tomatoes, onions, and a creamy béchamel sauce. Infused with cinnamon, Moussaka delivers a rich symphony of tastes and textures. Baked to golden perfection, it’s a culinary masterpiece that embodies the heart and soul of Greek cooking, earning its place as a quintessential dish adored by locals and cherished by food enthusiasts worldwide.
*** Recipe ***
• 3 Aubergines / Eggplants
• 3 Potatoes
• 500g Lamb mince
• 2 tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 Med Onion (Chopped)
• 2 Cloves of Garlic (Chopped)
• 1 tin chopped tomatoes (400g / 14oz)
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 1 tsp Cinnamon
• Handful of chopped Parsley
• Handful of Grated Cheese
For the bechamel sauce
• ½ cup Olive Oil
• ½ Plain Flour
• 900 ml Milk
• A pinch of nutmeg
• 2 eggs
• Salt to taste
For those of us who have been lucky enough to travel to Greece know only too well about the warmth of the hospitality the music the culture the philosophy the sunshine and right at the top of the pyramid is of course the food and the nation’s favorite dish musaka
Encapsulates all of this in every single mouthful this Rich heartwarming dish is packed full of flavor and yet surprisingly easy to make so let me teach you how to cook this delicious recipe step by step and I’ll teach you a few tips and tricks along the way to
Help your friends and family keep coming back for seconds and thirds and dare I say even fourths we’ll begin with the layer of potatoes as the base layer of our dish peel and slice your potatoes into 5 cm slices place them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper drizzle over some
Olive oil and coat on both sides evenly as you can see I’m only using a small amount of oil as this will stop them from sticking to the bottom of the tray as well as giving the potatoes a nice crunchy texture sprinkle over some salt place them in the middle rack and roast
Them in a preheated oven 180° C for 20 minutes or until they’re light golden brown now assemble them on the bottom of the baking dish don’t worry too much if there are any gaps as this will soon be covered by the next layer one of the
Three main ingredients of a musaka is of course the Orin or eggplants for my American Friends cut your Orin lengthways into 5 cm slices and add them to a baking tray next we’re going to lightly brush with olive oil we could fry them which is the traditional way of making musaka but I
Find this soak up too much oil and the final dish is too greasy so I prefer to brush mine with olive oil instead once all the slices are evenly coated sprinkle over some salt and bake them in an oven for for around 20 minutes until they are soft and golden once they come
Out of the oven allow them to cool enough so you can handle them without receiving thir Dee Burns I make the mistakes so you don’t have to arrange them so each one is slightly overlapping to avoid any gaps using the back of the spatula gently Pat them down to even everything
Out to cook them in Slam we’re going to heat a large frying pan over a medium high heat add a small amount of olive oil oil and bring up to temperature next add your minced lamb if you don’t like lamb you could use beef instead but the traditional dish calls
For lamb and that is what I’m using today using a wooden spoon break up any clumps and spread them out evenly in the pan allow the meat to cook undisturbed for a few minutes until it starts to Brown at the bottom stir the meat occasionally to ensure even Browning and
To prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pan if like mine your mint starts to release water allow this to fully evaporate otherwise your meat won’t fry and you will end up steaming your mins instead once all the water has evaporated we’re going to continue cooking until the meat
Is browned all over and no longer pink this will take around 5 minutes but may vary depending on your heat level the caramelized flavors and textures resulting from the Browning process contributes to the overall deliciousness of the final dish once the lamb is cooked through add in the diced onions minced
Garlic salt and pepper as well as the cinnamon sorted them until the onions are translucent and Fragrant next we’ll add in the diced tomatoes stir everything together cover the pan and let it simmer for around 10 minutes stir in a occasionally to prevent everything from sticking to the bottom of the Pan after 10 minutes or when your meat is fully cooked remove the pan from the heat add half the cooked meat to the dish and spread it out evenly once again using the back of the spatula gently Pat everything down to ensure everything is even now add the next layer of or jein
Again as before arrange the slices on top making sure they overlap slightly to create a seal add the remainder of the cooked lamb spread it out evenly and press down gently to create a compact even layer allowing the flavors to melt together as they cook in the Oven before adding the final ingredients we’re going to sprinkle over some chopped parsley and a handful of grated cheese the third and final Main Ingredients is of course the bashal topping as we’re making a Greek and not a French style bamel we’re going to use olive oil instead of butter bring your
Oil up to temperature and add the flour keep whisking for around 2 to 3 minutes until the mixture turns into a smooth golden paste we call this a r pour a small amount of milk and whisk until all the liquid has been fully absorbed into the roof keep adding the milk in gradually
And whisk in until all the milk has been added add salt to taste pepper and the nutmeg and continue whisking until it thickens into a custard likee consistency and it can coat the back of a spoon this should take around 5 minutes take off the heat and allow it
To cool whisking occasionally to release the steam add in the eggs this makes the sauce creamier improves the look and overall taste pour the sauce on top spread it out evenly so it covers everything in a thick even layer Place into a preheated oven at 190° C or
375° F and let it cook for around 45 minutes or pour until the top is golden brown and when it looks like this your masaka is done and here it is the final dish and here it goes Delicious you get the bachell soft and creamy it’s like almost like a sule then you get the cheese then you get the mins over jeans they absolutely delicious it’s like sunshine on a plate you almost feel like you’re back in grease you have to try this for yourself
Let me know in the comments below how you get on and if you got any questions or suggestions for future videos let me know and if you haven’t already done so what are you waiting for subscribe see you in the next video and as my friend say in Gree kesi he