Greece | Moussaka

The history of Greek cooking dates back longer than most, discovering the origin of meals from 100 B.C. back when the Romans had power in the country. It is said that originally, like many other countries, Greece got a lot of their influence from those around them and those they were in conflict with.

In 350 B.C., when Alexander the Great extended the Greek Empire's reach from Europe to India, certain northern and eastern influences were absorbed into the Greek cuisine.

In 146 B.C., Greece fell to the Romans which resulted in a blending of a Roman influence into Greek cooking.

In 330 A.D., Emperor Constantine moved the capital of the Roman Empire to Constantinople, founding the Byzantine Empire which, in turn, fell to the Turks in 1453 and remained part of the Ottoman Empire for nearly 400 years. During that time, dishes had to be known by Turkish names, names that remain today for many Greek classics.

- The Spruce Eats

For example, foods like hummus (coming from the arab word for chickpea) or tzatziki (from the Turkish word "cacik") are staples in Greek cooking, but have roots elsewhere. Over time, recipes are adapted and when traditions are established and infusions are made with local ingredients, recipes become their own. This is how Greek food came to be.

Greek cuisine, though fairly simple, contains flavors that cannot be found anywhere else. With 20 percent of the country being composed of islands, the nation has to use it’s land wisely — using their perfect climate to grow two very important staples in Greek cooking, lemon and olive trees.

I wanted to cook traditional Moussaka, instead of the equally popular dish Pastitsio, because of the use of eggplants that serves as the base of the casserole. Eggplant is heavily used in Greek cuisine and is extremely important to the country’s food history. I used lamb meat to stay true to the authenticity of the meal, but you can easily substitute for ground beef if you prefer. I really enjoyed the comforting aspect to this meal. In fact I, with the help of my best friend Seb, ate more than half of the casserole after I had prepared it that night. Cook and eat this meal with a large group around the dinner table like many Greek families would and enjoy Moussaka!

Ingredients Needed:

  • 2 large eggplants, sliced lengthwise into 1/4 inch-thick slices, end slices discarded

  • Salt

  • Extra virgin olive oil

  • 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped

  • 1 lb ground lamb (or beef)

  • 1 tbsp dried oregano

  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon

  • 1/2 tsp black pepper

  • 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

  • 1/2 tsp paprika or hot paprika

  • 1/2 cup red wine

  • 1 14 oz can diced tomato

  • 1 tsp sugar

  • 1/2 cup hot beef broth

  • 2 large russet potatoes, peeled, very thinly sliced lengthwise

  • water

  • 4 tbsp dried bread crumbs

CHEESE TOPPING

  • 3/4 cup fat free Greek yogurt

  • 3 large eggs, at room temperature, beaten

  • 1 tbsp allpurpose flour

  • 1/2 cup reduced fat ricotta (cream cheese would work if you prefer)

  • 3 oz crumbled feta cheese

Cooking Instructions

  1. Spread the eggplant slices in one layer and sprinkle with salt. Let set for 30 minutes to “sweat out” its bitterness.

  2. Pat the eggplant slices dry and assemble in one layer on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Drizzle generously with olive oil. Place the baking sheet on the top oven rack and broil briefly, turning over so that both sides of the eggplant are softened and golden brown (do not worry if parts of the eggplant are slightly charred, but watch carefully so it doesn’t burn). Remove from the oven and set aside.

  3. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a skillet. Cook the onions on medium heat until they turn slightly golden brown, stirring regularly (about 5 minutes). Now add the ground lamb. Cook the lamb until fully browned, tossing regularly. Drain the lamb from any excess fat and return back to the skillet. Now add the dried oregano, ground cinnamon, pepper, nutmeg, and hot paprika. Stir to coat the meat with the spices. Add the wine and boil for 1 minute to reduce. Stir in the canned tomatoes, sugar and broth. Simmer on medium-low heat for 30 minutes.

  4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

  5. In the meantime, boil the sliced potatoes in plenty of water until they are completely soft and easily breakable (about 5-7 minutes). Drain the water and set the potatoes aside briefly.

  6. To prepare the cheese topping, whisk the Greek yogurt with the eggs and flour. Add the ricotta and feta cheese and whisk again to combine.

  7. When ready, lightly oil a 9 1/2″ x 13″ oven-safe baking pan. Layer the eggplant slices on the bottom. Add the meat sauce and spread to cover the eggplant. Layer the potato slices to cover the meat sauce and sprinkle with the bread crumbs. Finally spread the cheese topping to thinly cover the potatoes.

  8. Bake in the 350 F degree-heated oven for 45 minutes. If you need to, transfer the baking pan to the top rack and broil briefly so that the top of the moussaka gains a nice golden brown color (watch carefully).

  9. Remove from the heat and let sit 5-7 minutes before cutting through into squares to serve. Enjoy!

Recipe by: The Mediterranean Dish

Jack Hatzfeld