Moussaka

Total Time: 2 hrs 10 mins Preparation Time: 1 hr 30 mins Cook Time: 40 mins

Ingredients

• 2 lbs eggplants
• 1 lb ground lamb (optional) or 1 lb lamb (optional) or 1 lb spicy sausage (optional) or 1 lb mushroom (optional)
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2-1 teaspoon oregano
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• 2 teaspoons tomato paste
• 1/2 cup dry red wine
• 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 2 teaspoons butter
• 2 teaspoons flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 dashes nutmeg
• 3 dashes pepper
• 2 cups milk
• 2 whole eggs
• 1 egg yolk

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 350°f.
• 2 remove eggplant stem's, cut lengthwise down the middle, then crosswise into 1/2 inch slices (half-moon shaped).
• 3 place on paper towels (optional), lightly salt and set aside.
• 4 in a large fry pan heat 1 t oil and cook meat (or mushrooms) until browned. drain if necessary (optional).
• 5 mix in onion and cook until onion is tender.
• 6 mix in garlic, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, pepper, oregano, parsley, tomato paste, and wine.
• 7 bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until sauce starts to thicken up.
• 8 blot moisture from eggplants (optional).
• 9 arrange eggplants in a single layer on a baking sheet.
• 10 brush with oil and cook until lightly browned, turn, brush with oil and repeat-around 10 min total. (or you can just rub oil into them, cook for 10 minutes, turning once).
• 11 cream sauce:.
• 12 melt butter in a med saucepan, stir in flour, salt, nutmeg and pepper.
• 13 remove from heat and gradually stir in milk.
• 14 return to heat and cook, stirring constantly until thickened.
• 15 in a small bowl beat the eggs and additional yolk, temper the eggs by adding a bit of the hot mixture and over low heat slowly add the eggs to the sauce, mixing well.
• 16 assembly:.
• 17 place half the eggplant in an ungreased square or oval casserole dish, top with the meat or just onion sauce and 1/4 cup parmesan cheese.
• 18 cover with remaining eggplant, pour on cream sauce and top with remaining parmesan cheese.
• 19 at this point you can refrigerate overnight.
• 20 bake at 350°f, 180°c for about 40 minutes or until the top is well browned.