Tsambica’s Authentic Moussaka

To prepare this Greek moussaka recipe, begin by preparing the potatoes and eggplants. Wash the potatoes and eggplants and cut them into slices 1 cm thick removing and discarding the eggplant stalks.

1. Fry in plenty of oil, until nicely coloured. Place the fried potatoes and eggplants on some paper in order to absorb the oil. (For a lighter version of the traditional Greek moussaka try drizzling the potatoes and eggplants with some olive oil and bake them for 20 minutes instead of frying them).
2. Prepare the meat sauce for the moussaka. Heat a large pan on medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Using a wooden or silicone spoon stir in the chopped onions and sauté until softened and slightly coloured. Stir in the garlic and after a couple of minutes add the mince and cook until brown and liquid fully absorbed. Then add remaining meat sauce ingredients and stir until combine well. Simmer with the lid on until ready to use.
3. Preheat oven at 180 degrees Celcious.
4. Assemble the moussaka. For this moussaka recipe you will need a large baking dish, approx. 20×30 cm. Butter the bottom and sides of the dish and layer all the potatoes to cover the bottom. Sprinkle with sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, nutmeg and half of the parmesan cheese Pour in half the meat sauce and even out to cover. Add another layer using half the eggplant and also sprinkle with sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, nutmeg and the remaining parmesan cheese. Pour in the remaining meat sauce and even out to cover. Layer the rest of the eggplant sprinkle with sea salt, freshly ground black pepper and nutmeg.
5. Prepare the béchamel sauce for the moussaka. Use a large pan to melt the butter over low-medium heat. Add the flour whisking continuously to make a paste. Add warmed milk in a steady stream, keep whisking in order to prevent your sauce from getting lumpy. If the sauce still needs to thicken, boil over low heat while continuing to stir. If it’s too thick add a little warm water. Remove the pan from the stove and stir in salt, pepper, a pinch of nutmeg and the grated cheese and whisk to combine. Add the eggs one at a time and whisk quickly in order to prevent the eggs from turning an omelette! Pour béchamel sauce over the moussaka immediately and spread evenly to cover eggplant.
6. Sprinkle with nutmeg and bake the moussaka in preheated oven for about 60 minutes until crust turns light golden brown. Even though it will be really hard you should wait for the moussaka to cool down for a while before cutting into pieces.
7. Serve the Moussaka with a nice refreshing Greek feta salad and enjoy over a glass of  wine!