Greek Eggplant Meat Moussaka

Ingredients

• 1.2 kg eggplants
• 2 onions
• 2 Garlic cloves
• oil for frying
• oil for greasing the dish
• 500 g ground meat
• 125 ml dry white wine
• 2 tbsp Tomato paste
• Salt
• Pepper (freshly ground)
• cinnamon powder
• 200 g Feta Cheese
• 2 tbsp chopped parsley
• 2 egg whites
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp flour
• 500 ml milk
• 2 egg yolks
• 60 g Kefalotyri or Pecorino, grated
• nutmeg

Instructions

1. 1.

   Peel and dice onions and garlic. Heat 1 tbsp oil and brown them with the ground meat, then deglaze with wine. Add tomato paste and season with salt, pepper, and cinnamon. Let the sauce reduce slightly, taste, and stir in cubed sheep cheese, parsley, and egg whites.

2. 2.

   Wash eggplants and slice about 1 cm thick. In a large pan heat oil and fry the slices in batches over medium heat until golden. Drain on paper towels. Layer the fried slices on the bottom of a greased tall baking dish, then add layers of meat mixture and more eggplant.

3. 3.

   In a shallow pot melt butter over medium heat, whisk in flour, cook briefly until pale, then gradually stir in milk while whisking to avoid lumps. Bring to a gentle boil and simmer gently for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat, let cool slightly, then fold in egg yolks and grated cheese. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Pour the béchamel over the assembled casserole.

4. 4.

   Bake the Greek meat and eggplant moussaka in a preheated oven at 200 °C (medium) for 35–40 minutes until golden brown.