A classic Greek dish

MOUSSAKA

Ingredients

3 eggplants
2 potatoes
4 ripe tomatoes
olive oil
700 g minced beef
1 large onion chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 glass of red wine
fresh thyme
parsley
1 bay leaf
1 pinch cinnamon
salt and pepper

For the béchamel sauce

100 g fresh butter
140 g flour
2 cups of milk
2 eggs
1 pinch ground nutmeg
150 g grated gruyere cheese
salt and pepper

Preparation

Cut the eggplants into thick slices 1 cm thick, salt them and place them in a strainer for ½ hour. Rinse them with plenty of water and drain them with your hand. Dry, then fry them in olive oil until browned. Put them onto absorbent paper to strain their juices. The same procedure is followed for the potatoes.

Prepare the ground beef. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and sauté the chopped onion and garlic. Add the minced meat and cook stirring continuously until it turns into little grains. Add the wine. Add tomatoes peeled and cut into cubes, a little thyme, bay leaf, cinnamon, salt and pepper. Allow the mixture to be cooked until the water has evaporated.

Prepare the sauce. Heat the fresh butter in a saucepan, add the flour and cook until browned. Then, pour the hot milk, stirring continuously to prevent clumping. Once the sauce thickens, remove from heat and add the nutmeg, salt and pepper. Add the grated cheese and stir. Pour the eggs and stir quickly until absorbed in the mixture. Leave aside.

Butter a baking dish and place a layer of potatoes at the bottom, topped with a layer of eggplant. Sprinkle with a little chopped parsley. Add the minced meat on top and straighten all over. Continue with the second layer of the remaining potatoes, eggplants and chopped parsley in between.

Pour the béchamel. Straighten with a knife and sprinkle with a little grated cheese. Put the pan in the oven for about 1 hour until top forms a golden crust.

Before you cut it into pieces, let the moussaka stand for half an hour.