Greek moussaka

I must admit that I have a great sentiment to Greek dishes, and to Greece itself. That’s why my choice of this casserole. Simple to make and heavenly delicious.


Ingredients
35 oz (1000 g) medium size eggplants
22 oz (600 g) minced lamb meat or beef meat
18 oz (500 )g potatoes (boiled in skins and peeled)
2 big onions
2-3 garlic cloves
5-6 ripe tomatoes
1-2 tbsp tomato puree
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon basil
½ cup oil
salt, pepper
Béchamel sauce:
4 tbsp butter
4 tbsp flour
3 cups milk
3 tbsp grated hard cheese

Method
Wash eggplants, slice – if bitter: salt each slice and put in a strainer for a 30 min. After 30 min rinse and dry with paper towel. If the eggplants aren’t bitter you can start frying. Heat up the oil in a pan and fry eggplant slices each side until golden, ready dry with a paper towel, put aside on a plate.

Immerse the tomatoes in boiling water for about 30 seconds, peel. Cut in small pieces, remove seeds – put the flesh in a bowl.

Peel and dice onion. Chop the garlic and fry with onion in the same pan as used for frying eggplants. When the onion is golden add meat, continue frying stirring to prevent the meat from forming lumps. Add tomatoes, tomato puree and salt. Stew on a low heat for about 20 min. 5 min. before taking from the heat add (fresh) herbs and pepper. Cook the potatoes in skins, when cooled slice them.

Sauce:

In a pot melt butter, gently pour in flour, after 1 min. of frying take the pot off the heat. Slowly, in parts pour in the milk, all the time energetically whisk. Put the pot on a low heat and boil until the sauce gets thick. Add half of grated cheese, salt, pepper, mix and put aside to cool.
Preheat oven to 380 F (190 oC). In a greased oblong dish arrange the eggplants in a bottom spread the meat evenly on top of the eggplant, than potato slices, meat and the peeled and chopped tomatoes. Pour the béchamel and the grated cheese. After 40 min. of baking, when golden brown the moussaka is ready. Wait about 10 minutes before eating (let it cool a bit).