Egyptian Style Moussaka

Hi again, today I was asked by my daughter and neice to put up this delicious baked moussaka dish, it is surprisingly light and is great with a green salad and a glass of your favorite red.

I tasted this dish in Egypt when we were on a cruise liner going down the Nile and said to my husband when I get home I'm making this ...... And I did and it turned out great! so I know you will also have great success making it too.


This will make a large rectangle baking dish about 45 x 30 or a few smaller trays depending on the size of your baking dishes

Will feed about 6 - 8 people

3 large egg plants (peeled and sliced about 1cm thick
Olive oil for brushing
Salt and pepper

Meat Sauce

1 kg lean beef mince
50g butter
2 large onions (finely chopped)
4 garlic cloves (crushed)
400ml jar Passata sauce
2 dried bay leaves


Bechamel

4 tbsp flour
2- 3 cups of milk
100g grated mozzarella cheese
50g fresh grated Parmesan cheese


Pre-heat the oven to 180c

Eggplant

1. To grill the eggplant, lightly brush the sliced eggplants and lightly season with salt and pepper.

2. Place on a paper lined baking tray.

3. Put the eggplants in the hot oven and bake/ grill until it's golden brown then turn over and brown the other side. Make sure they are cooked through and are soft so if your oven is too hot and they brown without softening then turn the oven down.

Meat Sauce

1. To make the meat sauce melt the butter in the saucepan and add the onion and garlic and sauté until softened, not colored.

2. add the mince meat and cook until brown, then season with salt and pepper.

3. add the tomato passata sauce and bay leaf and bring to the boil taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste and simmer for 20 mins until most of the liquid has evaporated.

Béchamel

1. To make the béchamel sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan and add the flour, stir constantly so that it does not colour.

2. Add the cold milk 1 cup at a time and whisk and let the sauce slowly bubble, add more milk and whisk until you have the consistency of a cake batter not too thick or too runny.

3. Take off the heat and add the cheeses and whisk in until melted. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste.


Assembly

1. Place the eggplant on the bottom of the baking pan, then spoon the meat sauce, if you have more eggplant then make 2 layers with the meat sauce on top.

2. Pour the béchamel on top of the layers.

Note : if your mixture is too much then make a few smaller trays of the moussaka and freeze for another time as these freeze very well and can be cooked directly from the freezer.


Bon Appetit
Bil hana we shefa

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