With this traditional Greek dish you can be brought to Plaka in spirit in less than an hour!
When in Athens, we love to take our groups to the Plaka district’s oldest restaurant, Taverna Psara. Dining al fresco on the rooftop offers great views, as the sounds of live music drift up from the streets to entertain you. At Taverna Psara our travelers indulge in a traditional, multi-course Greek dinner, which, of course, includes~ Moussaka!
Moussaka is a traditional Greek dish that is to the Greeks what lasagna is to the Italians. Each of the four sections of the assembled dish contains four easy steps and from start to finish, in less than an hour, you can be brought right to Plaka in spirit. Yamas!
Eggplant
• 2 lb eggplant
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp olive oil
Filling
– 1 tbsp olive oil
– 1 onion, diced
– 3 garlic cloves, minced
– 1.5 lb ground beef
– 1/2 cup red wine
– 14 oz crushed tomatoes
– 3 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 cup beef broth
– 1 beef bouillon cube, crumbled
– 2 bay leaves
– 1.5 tsp sugar
– 2 tsp dried oregano
– 1/2 tsp cinnamon
– 1/4 tsp salt
Bechamel sauce
– 4 tbsp butter
– 5 tbsp flour
– 2 1/2 cups milk
– 1/4 tsp nutmeg
– 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
– 1 egg, plus 1 egg yolk
– 1 1/4 tsp salt
– 1/4 tsp pepper
Topping
– 1/3 cup breadcrumbs
Eggplant
- Preheat oven to 400F.
- Peel and slice eggplant lengthwise in thin slices and place on paper towels on a sheet pan. Sprinkle with
salt. - Leave for 30 minutes then pat dry and brush with oil. Meanwhile, make meat and Béchamel sauces.
- Bake 15 – 20 minutes or until lightly browned and softened. Remove from oven to cool.
Meat sauce
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet on high heat, then cook the garlic and onion for 2 minutes.
- Add the beef and cook until brown, breaking it up as you cook.
- Add wine and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer, then lower heat to medium low and cook for 15 minutes, until you have a thick sauce.
Bechamel sauce
- Melt butter in a pan over medium heat. Add flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
- Slowly stir in the milk. Then stir regularly for 5 minutes or until it coats the back of your spoon.
- Remove from the stove and whisk in cheese, nutmeg, salt, and pepper.
- Cool for 5 minutes, then whisk in eggs and cover with lid and set aside.
Assemble
- Lower oven to 350F.
- Place half the eggplant in a baking dish top with all the filling.
- Top with remaining eggplant, then pour over the Béchamel Sauce, and sprinkle with breadcrumbs.
- Bake for 35 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to stand for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Enjoy your meal! Please share your photos of your Moussaka on Instagram and do not forget to tag Lingo Tours in it.
