Main Dishes (& B'fasts)
4 ea Potatoes, thinly sliced
3/4 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Black pepper
.:
1/4 cup Olive oil
1 Medium onion, chopped
1 Tbs Minced garlic
1/2 Lemon, thinly sliced or 1 tsp lemon juice
2 Tbs Fresh oregano leaves, chopped OR 1 Tsp dried oregano
2 Tbs Dried parsley
2 lbs Ground lamb or beef
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/8 tsp Allspice
2 Bay leaves
1/8 tsp Ground cloves
1-1/2 tsp Sugar
1 tsp Thyme
3 Tbs Tomato paste
1 16 oz can Tomatoes, diced and crushed
1/2 cup Dry red wine
3 cups Parmesan cheese, grated
1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
2 Tbs Butter
2 Tbs Flour
1-1/2 cups Milk
1 ea Egg
1 ea Egg yolk
1/2 tsp Nutmeg
Adapted from BBF moussaka recipe & allrecipes.com by BBF, 6/25.
Potatoes:
Peel potatoes and slice them thinly. Cut slices in half.
Meat sauce:
Add olive oil to a large skillet and cook the onion, garlic, lemon slices, oregano, and parsley for three minutes.
Add the ground lamb or beef, stirring to break up the meat. Season with salt and pepper, and add the cinnamon, allspice, bay leaves, thyme and clove. Cook until meat is lightly browned.
Stir in the tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, red wine, and sugar, simmering until the liquid has evaporated. Remove the mixture from the heat.
Bechamel sauce:
In a saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter. Stir in flour until smooth.
Whisk together milk and egg, then gradually whisk into flour mixture.
Cook, stirring constantly, until thick and smooth. Remove from heat, and stir in one cup of the shredded parmesan cheese.
Final prep:
Pre-heat oven to 375° F.
Line the bottom of a baking dish with a third of the potato slices. Spread half the meat sauce over the potatoes, evening it out with a spatula. Sprinkle with 2/3 cup of the parmesan. Repeat the layers again, ending with a final layer of potatoes. Cover the top with bread crumbs and add the remaining parmesan.
Bake at 375° F for 1-1/2 hours, or until the top is golden, finishing under the broiler if necessary. Let the moussaka cool for 10 minutes before serving.