Eggplant Moussaka

Eggplant Moussaka is a recipe from the Middle East but has also been popularized by the Greeks. It consists of a layer of eggplant, potatoes, and ground meat. The taste is somewhat comparable to Shepherd's Pie but with a Mediterranean twist. Try it out, and enjoy!

Ingredients: 

  • 2 large eggplants (about 1.5 lbs)
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1.5-2 lbs of KOL Foods ground beef
  • 2 onions, finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp olive oil or schmaltz
  • 1 cup all purpose or potato flour
  • 4 cloves garlic, crushed and minced
  • 1 egg, slightly beaten
  • 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
  • 1 green pepper, cored and chopped
  • 2 tomatoes, sliced
  • 2 cups canned crushed peeled tomatoes or tomato sauce
  • salt and pepper to taste

Trim eggplants and peel alternate strips lengthwise to create stripes. Slice into medium thick slices. Sprinkle with salt. Stack slices and cover with a weighted plate to drain off bitter juice, about 30 minutes to an hour.

Meanwhile, place meat in a bowl. Add onion, and mix well.

In a skillet, heat 2 tbsp oil or schmaltz over medium-high heat. Cook ground meat until it begins to brown, stirring well, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.

While meat is cooling, rinse eggplant slices with warm water, dry on kitchen towels, then dip in flour to coat both sides.

Pan-fry eggplant slices over medium-high heat, about 3-4 minutes on each side.

Preheat oven to 400 F.

When meat has cooled off, place in a bowl. Add garlic, egg, salt, pepper, and parsley. Mix well.

Oil the bottom and sides of a deep oven dish. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs.

Place a layer of eggplant slices on the bottom of the dish as well as against the sides. Next spread a layer of half the meat mixture. Cover the meat with half the green peppers, and then half the tomato sauce. Repeat with eggplant, meat and peppers, then add half the tomato slices, another layer of eggplant slices, then another layer of tomato slices, and finally the rest of the tomato sauce. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and bake for about 45 minutes.

When moussaka is done, take it out of the oven, let stand about 5 minutes, then turn it over onto a serving dish. Or if you lack that kind of courage, let stand for 15 minutes and serve directly out of the over dish.

Serve over polenta and with mixed greens and light fruity dessert. Pare with a Pinot Noir.

Serves 6