Baz's Moussaka

Baz's Note:

Took the best of several Recipezaar moussakas (mainly #59130 and #88804) to make this one.

• Total Time: 2 hrs 20 mins
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 2 hrs

Ingredients:

Servings: 6

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 600 g lean ground beef or 600 g lamb
• 1 (400 g) can crushed tomatoes
• 1/2 cup kalamata olive, chopped
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon fresh oregano, chopped (or 1/2 tsp dried oregano)
• 2 teaspoons fresh basil, chopped (or 1 tsp dried basil)
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 650 g eggplants
• 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, grated
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
• 1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
• 3 large potatoes
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon plain flour
• 300 ml hot milk
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1/3 cup kefalograviera cheese, grated (or parmesan)
• 1 pinch salt

Directions:

1. In large heavy saucepan, frypan or wok, heat olive oil and saute chopped onions and garlic until the onions soften a little (about 5 minutes). Add minced meat and cook until lightly brown.
2. Stir in oregano, basil, cinnamon, olives and tinned tomatoes and bring to the boil. Turn the heat down, cover and simmer slowly for about 30 minutes.
3. Uncover and simmer slowly for another 30 minutes until liquid reduces.
4. While sauce simmers, peel potatoes and cut them into 1/4" thick slices. Cook them under the griller, or in an oven, turning once so that both sides are just browned. Remove and lay them in the bottom of a 13" x 9" baking dish, overlapping the slices so there are no gaps.
5. Cut ends off eggplant(s) and peel the skin off in alternate strips, creating a striped look. Cut them into slices (1/2" if you want one layer or 1/4" if you want 2 layers - I normally use one layer as it's quicker to cook them in the next step).
6. Spray or brush slices with a little olive oil and cook under the griller. When brown, salt lightly, turn and spray/brush the other side with olive oil and cook until this side is brown too. Salt lightly, remove and lay them over the sliced potatoes in the baking dish, overlapping the slices so there are as few gaps as possible.
7. Combine the parmesan cheese, chedder cheese and breadcrumbs in a bowl and distribute half of it over the eggplant slices.
8. Make Bechamel sauce by melting the butter in a small saucepan over low heat and then whisking in the sifted flour and cooking slowly until smooth and lightly cooked (about 3 minutes).
9. Add pinch of salt and remove from heat. Add hot milk, whisking rapidly and return the pan to the heat. Cook until thick and bubbly, whisking constantly.
10. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes, whisking once in a while to prevent a skin forming.
11. After the Bechamel sauce mix has cooled for 5 minutes, add lightly beaten egg and grated kefalograviera cheese to it and whisk to make a fluffy sauce.
12. Distribute the meat sauce over the cheese/breadcrumb mix in the baking dish (you can do this while the Bechamel sauce is cooling, of course, if the meat sauce is ready).
13. Add the second layer of eggplant on top of the meat sauce, if you have sliced them thinly, and then distribute the remaining cheese/breadcrumb mix over the top. (If not using the second layer of eggplant just distribute the cheese/breadcrumb mix over the meat sauce).
14. Spread the Bechamel sauce over the top of the cheese/breadcrumb mix and place baking dish in a pre-heated 180C oven for 45 minutes or until flecked golden brown on top.
15. Serve immediately or for freezing, cut into serving sized portions, double wrap in foil and freeze. Defrost and re-heat in oven (or microwave) as needed.