Among all the lovely Greek food I had on a recent trip to Greece was, of course, moussaka. I knew I had to make my own when I got home.
Moussaka is a popular and flavourful dish that originates from the Mediterranean and Middle Eastern regions, with variations found in countries including Greece and Turkey, as well as across the Arab world. It is a layered casserole style dish typically made with aubergine as the primary vegetable ingredient, although there are regional variations.
In this recipe I salt the aubergine before cooking in order to draw out moisture and intensify the flavour. To do this, slice the aubergine and add to a colander and sprinkle with salt, tossing well to coat. After 40 minutes to an hour, you’ll notice most of the liquid content of the vegetable is gone. Then you just squeeze out any remaining moisture with kitchen towels. You can skip this step if you’re short on time, but I think this really improves the flavour of the aubergine and is worth the effort.
The dish brings together layers of flavours and textures, making it a favourite in many homes and restaurants worldwide.
I’ve used individually sized small pots in this recipe, but of course you could use a larger dish similar to one you might use when making a lasagne. Personally, I really like these charming little pots which means I can use this recipe a starter for a Greek feast or as a main served with a Greek salad.
Individual Moussaka Pots
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium aubergine (cut into 1cm slices)
- 2 baking potatoes (peeled and cut into 1cm slices)
- 1 onion (chopped)
- 2 gloves of garlic (minced)
- 500g lamb mince
- ¼ tsp all spice
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 bay leaf
- Can chopped tomato
- 1 tbsp tomato puree
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley (chopped)
- 1 egg white (beaten)
- 4 tbsp dried bread crumbs
- 80g parmesan
For the white sauce
- 20g butter
- 20g plain flour
- 200ml whole milk
- 50ml double cream
- 1 egg yolk (beaten)
- Pinch nutmeg (freshly grated)
- 20g parmesan
Directions
- Pre heat oven to 180C.
- Sprinkle the aubergine slices with a tablespoon of salt and let drain in a colander for 1 hour. Rinse to remove the salt then squeeze out the excess water and dry with kitchen towels.
- Bring a pot of salted water to the boil, add the potato slices, and cook for 5 minutes. Drain and leave to steam dry.
- Heat a pan over a high heat. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of the oil over the slices of aubergine and fry them for 5 minutes, or until they are golden brown on both sides and beginning to soften. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
- Add more oil to the pan if needed and add the onion and garlic, cooking for 5-10 minutes until soft, then add the minced lamb and cook for 10 minutes until browned.
- Add the all spice, dried oregano, bay leaf, and sugar, then cook for a few minutes before pouring in the chopped tomatoes, tomato puree and 200ml of water. Give everything a good stir and cook on a low heat for 20 minutes. Set aside and let cool for a few minutes before stirring in the fresh parsley and egg white.
- At this stage you can get on with the white sauce. Add the butter to a pan over a medium heat and once melted, add the flour. Cook, while stirring, for 5 minutes until the butter turns a deep golden brown.
- Whisk the milk and cream together in a measuring jug. Turn the heat to low and add a few tablespoons of the milk mixture and whisk. It will form a thick paste. Keep adding the milk 2-3 tablespoons at a time whisking as you go. Only add more milk once fully absorbed. Once all of the milk and cream has been added you will have a smooth, thick, sauce. Simmer gently, while slowly whisking for about 15 minutes. Grate in the nutmeg and parmesan then taste for seasoning. Allow to cool and whisk in the egg yolk.
- Grease the bottom of the pots (or dish), then spoon a layer of meat sauce, followed by a layer of aubergine, then a layer of potato. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs and parmesan, the repeat with another layer of the meat sauce, aubergine, and potato. Finish by topping with white sauce. Repeat this with the other 3 pots
- Put all your pots on a tray and pop into the oven, baking for 50 minutes or until the top of the moussaka pots are golden brown. If they colour too quickly, cover the pots with foil or a lid. Take out of the oven and stand for 15 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
