Ingredients(for 8 servings):
2 large eggplants
1 pound of ground beef
2 medium onions, chopped
1 can (8 ounce) of tomato sauce
1/2 cup of red wine
4 cups of milk
1/2 cup of butter
12 cup of grated parmesan cheese
4 tablespoons of flour
1 egg
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon of dried oregano
1 bay leaf
A pinch of ground cinnamon
A pinch of ground nutmeg
Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
How to make the moussaka:
Peel the eggplants and slice to 1 inch thick slices. Wash the eggplant slices thoroughly in water, then press hard with your hands to remove the excess water. Dry the eggplants slices with paper towels, and salt lightly. Brush the eggplants with olive oil and Broil them until browned. Turn and broil the other side of the eggplants until browned as well. Arrange a nice layer of half of the eggplants in a large greased baking pan.
Melt some butter in a large saucepan. When heated, add the ground beef and onions and salt and pepper to taste. Sauté the beef and onions, allowing the meat to brown on all sides. When the beef is browned and the onions are slightly colored, pour in the tomato sauce, red wine, cinnamon, oregano, parsley, bay leaf, and garlic. Turn the heat down and let simmer for 25 minutes, until most of the fluid evaporate.
Meanwhile, start making a béchamel sauce by melting some butter in a large pan. Add the flour and whisk thoroughly while adding the milk. Boil over low heat and keep on whisking until your sauce is steady. Remove from the heat and season with a pinch of nutmeg, salt and pepper. Add the egg and whisk again, to prevent the egg from becoming an omelet.
Cover the arranged eggplants with the meat mixture and sprinkle 1/4 cup of the parmesan cheese on the meat. Arrange the remaining eggplants on the meat and sprinkle 1/4 cup of cheese on top of the eggplants layer. Pour the béchamel sauce and sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top of it.
Bake the Moussaka in a preheated 350F oven for 1 hour.
