Greek Meat Lasagna (Moussaka)

Ingredients

• 450 g waxy potatoes
• 2 Eggplants
• Salt
• olive oil
• 2 onions
• 500 g tomatoes
• 500 g ground beef or lamb
• 250 ml dry white wine
• 1 tsp sugar
• 0.5 tsp cinnamon
• Pepper (freshly ground)
• 1 tsp Dried oregano
• 80 g breadcrumbs
• 80 g Graviera cheese (grated or Gruyère)
• 30 g Butter
• 3 tbsp Flour
• 400 ml milk
• Nutmeg (freshly grated)
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 3 eggs
• 150 g soft sheep cheese

Instructions

1. 1.

   Peel, wash and slice the potatoes thinly; place in a bowl of cold water until further use.

2. 2.

   Wash the eggplants and cut lengthwise into about 0.5 cm thick slices. Soak for ~20 minutes in salted water, then drain and pat dry. Heat 3-4 tbsp olive oil in a large non‑stick pan over high heat and fry the eggplant slices until golden brown all sides; drain on paper towels.

3. 3.

   Peel and dice the onions. Rinse the tomatoes with hot water, peel, quarter, core and dice. Sauté the onions in 3 tbsp oil until translucent. Add the ground meat, break it up and cook over high heat until crumbly and liquid evaporated. Stir in tomatoes, white wine, salt, sugar, cinnamon powder and pepper; simmer covered for about 5 minutes on medium heat. Wash, dry and finely chop parsley. Mix oregano into the meat mixture and let simmer another 5 minutes, then cool.

4. 4.

   Preheat the oven to 180 °C (fan).

5. 5.

   Mix breadcrumbs with 2 tbsp of Graviera cheese and add to the meat. Melt butter in a saucepan, stir in flour and cook briefly. Gradually whisk in milk and bring to a boil. Cook gently for 5 minutes while stirring; season with salt, pepper, nutmeg and lemon juice, then let cool slightly. Whisk two eggs and fold into the sauce with the remaining Graviera cheese (leave 2 tbsp).

6. 6.

   Grease a baking dish with butter and dust with leftover breadcrumbs. Mix one egg into the meat. Layer the dish with potato slices, half the eggplant slices, spread the meat, top with remaining eggplants and pour the sauce over everything. Crumble soft sheep cheese on top and sprinkle with the rest of the Graviera cheese. Bake in the oven for about 1 hour.