Recipe: Moussaka (with eggplant) for Judy, Canada

This recipe is from The Food and Wine of Greece by Diane Kochilas.

Moussaka

6 to 7 lbs. large eggplant, sliced lenghtwise
Salt
Olive oil
1/2 cup plain bread crumbs(optional)
4 to 6 cups bechamel sauce (above)
1 cup grated kefalotyri or Parmesan cheese

Meat Sauce:
4 to 5 medium onions, coarsely chopped
2 lbs. lean chopped meat (beef or lamb)
3 cups peeled and chopped plum tomatoes, with juice
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
7 to 8 whole cloves
1 small cinnamon stick, or 1/2 tsp. ground
2 small bay leaves
Pinch all spice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
3 Tbsp. tomato paste
1/2 cup dry red wine

Bechamel (medium thick):
2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 cup milk at room temperature or slightly warmed
Salt (usually about 1/2 tsp.) and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Grating of nutmeg
1 to 3 egg yolks (optional)

In a medium saucepan, melt butter over low heat; do not brown. Add flour, off the ehat and stir to blend with a whisk. Return to the heat and cook over low heat for 3 to 5 minutes, until flour no longer tastes raw. Slowly add milk over low heat abd stir continously, until sauce is creamy, still liquid, but quite thick. (This will take 10 to 20 minutes, depending on the strength of the heat.) Remove from the heat and stir in salt, papper, and nutmeg. Cool slightly before beating in the egg yolks.
Yield: 1 cup

Note: When inreasing the amount of the recipe, increase all ingredients proportionately, except for the eggs. One to three yolks - as desired - are the standard number. Egg yolks are generally included for baked dishes such as pastitsio and moussaka.

To prepare eggplant: In makng moussaka, the eggplants are traditionally fried to soften them. There has been a move away from such heavy cooking in Greece of late, but should you want to fry them first: Wash eggplants and trim stems and tips. Cut lengthwise into large oval slices, about 1/3 inch wide. Place in a large bowl and douse with ample salt. Allow to rest in salt for 45 minutes. Rinse slices very well, drain thoroughly and pat dry. In a lergae skillet, heat 2 tsp. to 1 Tbl. olive oil for every 2 slices of eggplant. Saute slices lightly and drain on paper towels. Or brush salted, rinsed eggplant slices on both sides with oil and place on an ungreased baking sheet. Broil until golden brown and soft.

To prepare the meat sauce: In a large heavy skillet, heat 2 Tbl. olive oil and saute onions until translucent. Add chopped meat and brown lightly. Add tomatoes, garlic, cloves, cinnamon, bay leaves, allspice, salt pepper and a little water, if necessary. Lower heat, cover and simmer for 45 to 50 minutes, adding more water if necessary. About 5 minutes before turning off the heat, add tomato paste and wine. Keep cover off and simmer until all liquid has been absorbed. Remove skillet from heat and cool slightly.

While sauce is simmering, make bechamel. Cover and have ready to use.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. :ightly oil an 11 X 15 X 3 inch baking pan or pyrex dish large enough to hold moussaka. (You may want to lower oven temperature to 325 degrees F if you use a glass dish.)

Sprinkle bread crumbs (optional) on bottom of baking pan. Place a layer of eggplant slices over bread crumbs. Spread meat mixture evenly over eggplant and cover with another layer of eggplant. Gently pour bechamel over top layer. Sprinkle with grated cheese and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until bechamel is thick and golden brown on top. Serve warm.

Yield: 8 to 10 servings