Moussaka

Ingredients

• 3 eggplants
• 1 chopped onion
• 500 g of lean ground lamb
• 500 g of tomato pulp
• salt, pepper, white pepper, ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon
• Chopped mint and parsley: 2 tablespoons
• olive oil
• 100 ml of white wine
• 40 g of butter
• 40 g of flour
• ½ liter of milk
• 2 medium-sized eggs
• 150 g of Parmesan cheese

Slice the eggplants in half lengthwise, about 1 cm thick. Salt both sides. Let them drain in a sieve for 1 hour. Rinse, pat dry with paper towels, and set aside.

Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a frying pan. Add the chopped onions and cook, stirring frequently, until they are translucent.

Add the ground lamb. Cook, stirring and separating the meat, for 10 minutes until all the liquid has evaporated.

Add the white wine, tomato pulp, herbs, cinnamon, and pepper. Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for another 15 minutes, covered. Remove the lid and simmer for another 10 minutes.

Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Gradually add the flour, stirring constantly for 2 minutes until a paste forms. Gradually add the milk, stirring continuously until a smooth béchamel sauce is achieved.

Add the two eggs, lightly beaten, then add the cheese. The mixture should be smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

Preheat the oven to thermostat setting 7.

Fry the eggplants in hot oil until golden brown. Drain them on paper towels.

In a large baking dish, arrange a layer of eggplant, half of the meat filling, then a second layer of eggplant, spread the remaining meat filling evenly, and finish with a final layer of eggplant.

Finally, top with the cheese sauce (or, if you don’t have it, use mozzarella).

Bake in the oven for 45 minutes.