How to Make Moussaka Recipe

For the Béchamel: In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add flour and whisk to form a paste. Cook, whisking constantly, until raw flour smell is gone but flour has not browned, about 1 minute. While whisking constantly, slowly pour milk in a thin, steady stream until all of it has been added (sauce will initially become very thick, then get very thin once all the milk is added). Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until béchamel comes to a simmer and begins to thicken slightly. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring constantly, until béchamel is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes. Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez Whisk in kefalotryi and season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg to taste. Transfer to medium bowl, cover with plastic wrap, pressing plastic against surface to prevent a skin from forming, and let cool for 15 minutes. Whisk in egg yolks then re-cover with plastic wrap flush against surface and set aside. Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez For the Meat Sauce: Heat oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over high heat until shimmering. Add half of ground meat and cook, stirring and scraping bottom of pot, until well browned, 6 to 8 minutes; use a potato masher or large whisk to break up meat as it cooks. Add remaining meat and cook, continuing to break it up with masher or whisk, until just cooked through and reduced to small bits, about 3 minutes; lower heat as necessary to prevent scorching. If there is excessive rendered fat, drain off all but about 1/4 cup (60ml). Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring and scraping bottom of pot, until just beginning to soften slightly, about 4 minutes. Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez Add tomato paste and cook over medium heat, stirring, for 1 minute. Add red wine, then increase heat to high and bring to a simmer. Cook, scraping up any browned bits, until wine has almost fully evaporated. Add canned tomatoes and their liquid, cinnamon stick halves, cloves, bay leaves, and oregano. Return to a simmer, then reduce heat to low, and cook, stirring often and crushing the whole tomatoes roughly with a spoon, until sauce has reduced and thickened and meat is coated in a silky glaze, about 30 minutes. Discard cinnamon stick halves, cloves, and bay leaves. Season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside. Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez Meanwhile, for the Vegetables: Line two rimmed baking sheets with a double layer of paper towels. In a large Dutch oven or wok, heat 1 inch vegetable oil over medium-high heat to 375°F (190°C). Working in batches to avoid crowding the oil, fry eggplant slices in a single layer, turning once halfway through, until golden-brown on both sides, about 5 minutes. Transfer fried eggplant to prepared baking sheet, season with salt, and set aside. Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez Top up Dutch oven with oil as needed and return oil to 375°F (190°C). Repeat frying process with potatoes, frying potatoes in batches until golden brown all over, about 3 minutes. Transfer fried potatoes to second prepared baking sheet, season with salt, and set aside. Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez To Assemble and Bake: Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Set a 9- by 13-inch baking dish on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Arrange fried potatoes in two even layers that cover the bottom of the baking dish (potatoes can overlap slightly). Arrange fried eggplant in a single even layer on top of potatoes (eggplant slices can overlap slightly). Top with all of the meat sauce, using a spatula to spread it in an even layer on top of the eggplant. Top with all of the béchamel sauce, spreading with a spatula to cover meat sauce completely. Sprinkle top all over with shredded kefalotyri. Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez Bake moussaka until top is golden brown and moussaka is warmed through, about 50 minutes. Let stand for 30 minutes before slicing and serving. Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez