Chef Mik's Take on Moussaka

Moussaka is basically a casserole one might think of as the Greek answer to Lasagna, made with egg plant, potatoes, and meat usually in some form of tomato sauce, topped with Sauce Béchamel. Its name comes from the Greek Chef Nicholas Tselementes the father of the modern Greek kitchen, and I can tell you from personal experience his influence can be felt through out the land (and islands of course). My first time in Greece now well over 20 years ago, nearly every day for 2 weeks straight at some point I had Moussaka. Typically seasoned with cinnamon and all spice, and everything nice, sometimes beef sometimes lamb, always a treat. I have been preparing Moussaka for years even worked in a Greek restaurant back in Europe for a time and make the dish several ways including a Yugoslavian version along with a few modifications of my own. For today’s incantation I will be using lamb, I have also decided on forsaking cinnamon and all spice and taking a different route this time round using fresh herbs which blend well with lamb. I will also use grilled Japanese eggplant, oven roasted fingerling potatoes and will substitute sauce Mornay instead of the classic Béchamel Tselementes made so popular in his home land. I like to make moussaka whenever I have left over cooked egg plant, potatoes and ground lamb on hand as opposed to prepping everything a la minute. As for special touches and/or other extras one thing that is not so typical in this dish but makes a great addition is pine nuts for anyone willing to live on the edge…

Shopping list

Ground lamb

Fingerling potatoes

Egg plant

Prepared tomato sauce, or homemade

Prepared béchamel or homemade

Kefalotyri or Parmesan cheese

Onions  

Garlic

Thyme

Rosemary

Bread crumbs

Sea salt

Black pepper

Extra virgin olive oil

My Mad Method

These are oven roasted fingerling potatoes seasoned with garlic, fresh rosemary, sea salt and black pepper, tossed in extra virgin olive oil

These are grilled Japanese eggplant that have been brushed with extra virgin olive oil, sea salt and cracked black pepper

This is a roasted pepper - tomato sauce with addition of egg plant and sundried tomatoes. But any tomato based sauce you like is fine

Brown 450 g lamb with 150g diced onion, 1 tsp garlic, fresh rosemary and thyme to taste

Add 5 dl tomato based sauce, bring to a boil, lower temp simmer 30 minutes, adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste

Add 2 TBS olive oil to a baking pan, add 1-2 TBSP bread crumbs coat evenly

Begin with a layer of potatoes

Add a layer of egg plant

Add a layer of meat sauce

Dust with Kefalotyri or Parmesan cheese, repeat layering one more time. Some people only use one layer of potatoes

Top the casserole with a final layer of 0.8-1 L sauce Mornay to which 3 egg yokes have been mixed in, bake in a 200c preheated oven for about 45 minutes or until nicely browned on top

Ready to eat!!

Can serve with extra sauce, garnish as you please