It's All Greek to Me: Moussaka

I've never had moussaka, the lamb and eggplant dish sometimes referred to as Greek lasagna.

I don't care for eggplant.

Alas, I've never cooked eggplant.

But here we are.....making moussaka!  We were trying to come up with a surprise for Sue, and knowing how much she likes this dish and how unlikely she'd be to make it for herself, we decided to give it a try.

I found this recipe by Bobby Flay that got good reviews: the reviewers made it as stated with much success.  Many steps, but easy enough.  Sounded good to me.

My only stumbling block? The eggplant!

I couldn't in good conscience cook them in the 1 1/2 C oil the recipe called for, so I tried using just a couple of tablespoons per batch (it took 3 batches to do all the eggplant).  They seemed very soggy when I was done, even after draining on paper towels for a while afterwards.

The lamb mixture smelled amazing, and the bechamel was silky smooth.  Two layers out of three aren't bad....right??!!

Once it was in the oven, I went looking for tips. Too late for this time, but would be helpful in the next attempt, I thought.  I found this advice and that. I found many posts that said that olive oil isn't the right oil for frying eggplant, given its low smoking temperature, and that eggplant should be cut lengthwise not crosswise. Some said to peel, some said not. Others insisted it be salted and rinced, others made no mention of that.

So, I was no better off after my research than I was when I'd slid my casserole into the oven.  All I could do was flip back and forth between the Pats and the Yankess, sip a glass of wine, and wait with baited breath for the buzzer to go off.

The verdict?  Success!  It was really tasty. There are some big flavors in this dish...lemon, oregano, lamb.  But they all go so well together. We served it with a salad and garlic bread. It was a little more greasy than I would prefer, but my post-cooking research today will come in handy when next - and there will be a next time! - I make it.

Ingredients
Lamb:
1/4 C Greek olive oil, divided
1 lb. ground lamb
1/2 t ground cinnamon
1/2 t ground ginger
1/4 t ground allspice
1/8 t cayenne
Salt and pepper
1 large yellow onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 jalapeno, finely diced
5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 T tomato paste
1 C red wine
1 28-oz. can plum tomatoes, pureed until smooth with their juices
1/4C chopped fresh parsley, plus more for garnish
1 T Italian seasoning
1 T honey

Eggplant:
about 1 C olive oil
1 1/2 lbs. eggplant, cut crosswise into 1/4 in. thick slices

Bechamel sauce:
6 T unsalted butter
1/2 C flour
2 1/2 C milk
1 bay leaf
1/8 t grated nutmeg
3 egg yolks
1/2 C soft goat cheese
1 lemon, zested
1 C grated Parmesan

Method:

Lamb:

1. Heat 1 T oil in a large sauce pan over high heat. Add the lamb and cook, stirring to break up the meat, until browned - about 5 minutes.
2. Transfer the lamb to a large strainer set over a bowl and drain; discard any liquid left in the pan.
3. Return the pan to the heat and add the remaining 3 T olive oil and heat. Add the onions and the bell pepper and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.
4. Add the jalepeno, garlic, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, cayenne, and salt and pepper and cook for 1 minute.
5. Add the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.
6. Return the lamb to the pan, add the wine, and cook, stirring occassionally, until almost complete evaporated, about 5 minutes.
7. Add the tomato puree and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer until thickened, about 30 minutes.
8. Stir in the parsley and Italian seasoning, season with salt and pepper and  honey - stir well. Remove from the heat.

Eggplant:

1. Heat 2 T oil in 12-in. skillet over medium high heat.
2. Season the eggplant slices with salt and pepper.
3. Working in batches, add the eggplant slices to the pan and fry until tender and lightly golden brown on both sides, about 5 minutes.
4. Transfer the eggplant slices to paper towels.

Bechamel:

1. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
2. Add flour and cook, whisking constantly, until pale and smooth, 2 minutes.
3. Still whisking constantly, add the milk and bay leaf and cook until thickened.
4. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg and discard bay leaf.
5. Let the sauce cool for 5 minutes.
6. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, goat cheese, and lemon zest.
7. Whisk the egg and cheese mixture into the bechamel until smooth.

Assembly & Baking:

1. Preheat the oven to 400.
2. Butter a 3Q baking dish or casserole dish.
3. Put half the eggplant slices in the dish and cover with half the meat sauce.
4. Top the sauce with the remaining eggplant and then the remaining meat sauce.
5. Pour the bechamel over the top of the meat sauce and spread evenly with a rubber spatula.
6. Sprinkle Parmasan evenly over the top, place the dish on a baking sheet, and bake until browned and bubbly, 45 to 50 minutes.
7. Top with more chopped parsely, if desired.
8. Let cool for at least 20 minutes before serving.