Traditional Greek Moussaka

About This Recipe

Moussaka is Greece's most iconic dish, codified by chef Nikolaos Tselementes in the 1920s into the version we know today. The combination of fragrant spiced lamb, silky béchamel and roasted aubergine creates a dish of remarkable complexity. It rewards effort handsomely.

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 3 largeaubergines (eggplants)(sliced 1cm thick)
• 600 gground lamb
• 1large onion(finely diced)
• 4 clovesgarlic
• 400 gcanned chopped tomatoes
• 2 tbsptomato paste
• 125 mlred wine
• 1 tspground cinnamon
• 1/2 tspground allspice
• 1/4 tspground cloves
• 60 gunsalted butter
• 60 gplain flour
• 750 mlwhole milk(warm)
• 2egg yolks
• 80 gkefalotyri or Parmesan(grated)
• 1/4 tspfreshly grated nutmeg

Instructions

1. 1

   Salt and roast aubergine

   Arrange aubergine slices on paper towels. Sprinkle both sides with salt. Leave 30 minutes. Pat completely dry. Brush lightly with olive oil. Roast at 200°C / 400°F for 20 minutes, turning once, until golden.

   Salting draws out moisture and bitterness, and prevents the aubergine from absorbing too much oil.

2. 2

   Make the lamb sauce

   Brown lamb in batches in a large pan over high heat until well-coloured. Drain excess fat. Add onion, cook 5 minutes. Add garlic, tomato paste and spices, cook 1 minute. Add wine, reduce. Add tomatoes, simmer 20 minutes until thick. Season well.

3. 3

   Make the béchamel

   Melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook 2 minutes. Gradually add warm milk, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Cook until thick, 5–8 minutes. Remove from heat, whisk in egg yolks, half the cheese, nutmeg, salt.

4. 4

   Assemble

   Layer in a deep 30x20cm baking dish: half the aubergine, all the lamb, remaining aubergine, then béchamel poured evenly over the top. Scatter remaining cheese.

5. 5

   Bake

   Bake at 180°C / 350°F for 45–50 minutes until top is deeply golden. Rest 20 minutes before cutting — this is crucial for the layers to set.

Variations

• •

  Vegetarian moussaka: replace lamb with lentils, mushrooms and more aubergine.

• •

  Potato moussaka: add a layer of thin potato slices beneath the aubergine.

Storage

Refrigerate up to 4 days. Freezes well for 3 months. Reheat covered at 160°C / 325°F.

Frequently Asked Questions