Greek Moussaka

Total Time: 1 hr Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 3 large eggplants
• kosher salt
• fresh ground black pepper
• extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 lemon, sliced in thin circles
• fresh oregano leaves, chopped
• fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 2 lbs ground lamb
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 (16 ounce) can whole tomatoes, drained and hand-crushed
• 8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
• 1 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated
• 1 cup fresh breadcrumb

Recipe

• 1 to prepare the eggplants: cut off the stems, remove the skin with a vegetable peeler, and cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch thick slices. season all the pieces of eggplant with salt and pepper on both sides. coat a large skillet with oil and heat over medium flame. fry the eggplant in a single layer, turning once, until brown on both sides- you will need to do this in batches, adding more oil, as necessary. drain the eggplant as they cook on a paper towel-lined platter.
• 2 add a little more oil to the pan and toss in the onion, garlic, lemon slices, oregano, and parsley. cook and stir until soft and fragrant, about 3 minutes. add the ground lamb, stirring to break up the meat; season with salt and pepper, and toss in the cinnamon stick. stir in the tomato paste and hand-crushed tomatoes. simmer until the liquid has evaporated, stirring occasionally. remove from the heat.
• 3 preheat the oven to 350 degrees f.
• 4 line the bottom of a 9 by 13-inch glass or ceramic baking dish with 1/3 of the eggplant slices; they should completely cover the bottom with no gaps. spread 1/2 of the meat sauce over the eggplant, evening it out with a spatula. sprinkle with 1/2 of the feta and parmesan. repeat the layers again, ending with a final layer of eggplant. cover the top with a nice even layer of bread crumbs. bake the moussaka for 30 to 40 minutes or until the top is golden. let cool 10 minutes before serving.