Main Course

Greek Moussaka

A layered Mediterranean casserole featuring spiced ground lamb, sliced eggplant, and a creamy béchamel sauce. This iconic Greek comfort food is baked until golden and bubbly.

Liam Henderson

Cook Time

Servings

reviews

Hard

Difficulty

Instructions

Prepare eggplant

Slice eggplants into 1cm rounds, salt generously, and let sit for 30 minutes to remove bitterness. Rinse, pat dry, brush with olive oil, and bake at 200°C (400°F) for 25 minutes until golden.

Salting the eggplant draws out moisture and bitterness, resulting in better texture and flavor.

Make meat sauce

Sauté onions and garlic until soft. Add lamb and brown well. Add tomatoes, wine, cinnamon, oregano, salt, and pepper. Simmer for 30 minutes until thickened.

The cinnamon is essential for authentic Greek flavor - don't skip it even though it seems unusual.

Prepare béchamel

Melt butter in a saucepan, whisk in flour and cook for 2 minutes. Gradually add warm milk, whisking constantly until smooth and thick. Remove from heat, stir in half the cheese and beaten eggs.

Warm the milk first to prevent lumps, and whisk constantly to achieve silky smooth béchamel.

Assemble the moussaka

In a greased baking dish, layer half the eggplant, all the meat sauce, remaining eggplant, then pour béchamel over top. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan.

Let each layer settle before adding the next for neater slicing after baking.

Bake and rest

Bake at 180°C (350°F) for 45 minutes until golden and bubbling. Let rest for 15-20 minutes before slicing - this allows layers to set.

Moussaka is actually better the next day - make it ahead and reheat for easier serving.