Moussaka is an eggplant dish served throughout the Middle East, the Balkans, and Greece. This scrumptious, flavorful entrée is ideal for dinner parties as all the prep can be done well in advance. I prefer using ground lamb, but beef is a fine stand-in.

Yes, moussaka takes time to prepare with three components: filling, béchamel sauce, and eggplant. Count on an hour of actual work, with two hours from start to assemblage. The payoff is well worth the effort. Serve with crusty bread and a Greek salad composed of tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, olives, chopped basil and parsley, and one teaspoon dried oregano added to an oil and vinegar dressing.

Moussaka

Serves 6 to 8

Filling

Can be prepared up to one day in advance.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1½ pounds ground beef or lamb
1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt 
3 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground pepper
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup hearty red wine
one 14-ounce can crushed tomatoes
½ cup tomato paste
2 bay leaves
½ to 1 cup beef stock or water

Directions

1. Heat oil in a large skillet. Add lamb or beef and sauté over medium heat until meat begins to lose its red color. Use a wooden spoon to break up any large chunks. 

2. Add onions, garlic, salt, oregano, cinnamon, and pepper. Stir and cook for about 6 minutes until onions turn translucent. 

3. Turn heat to high and add wine, and stir. Cook until wine is reduced by two-thirds. 

4. Lower heat to medium. Add crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, bay leaves, and ½ cup beef stock or water. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat, and cook until filling is very thick, about 1 hour to 1¼ hours. Only add additional stock or water if the filling dries out. Remember to stir every 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat when filling is rich and thick. Taste for seasonings, cover, and let sit. Tightly cover and refrigerate if not using within four hours.

Béchamel Sauce

Can be prepared up to four hours in advance.

½ cup butter
½ cup all-purpose flour
2½ cups whole or 2% milk
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt (or more to taste)
½ teaspoon pepper
1 egg
¾ cup grated Parmesan

Directions

1. Melt butter over medium heat in a medium saucepan. Add flour and stir to incorporate—it should look like a slurry. Adjust heat, so the roux slowly cooks without browning for 5 minutes. Stir from time to time.

2. While the mixture cooks, place milk in a microwave container and heat until fairly hot. After the roux has cooked for five minutes, slowly whisk in the hot milk, starting with about ¾ cup, whisking all the time. As soon as it begins to come together, add another ¾ cup, always whisking and scraping the sides and bottom of the pan. Whisk in the balance of the milk and switch to a wooden spoon. Add nutmeg, salt, and pepper, raise the heat slightly, and stir until the mixture comes just to the boil. You want a thick sauce but if it seems too thick, add a bit more milk. Taste for salt and pepper.

3. Remove from the heat. Beat the egg in a small bowl. Slowly beat in a tablespoon of sauce at a time until you’ve added about half a cup of sauce to the egg. (This tempers the egg so it does not curdle in the sauce.) Stir egg mixture into the sauce along with the Parmesan. Press a piece of waxed paper over the top and set aside for up to four hours.

Eggplant

Can be prepared up to four hours in advance.

3 large eggplants
3 tablespoons coarse salt

Directions

1. Trim off the ends of the eggplants. Slice eggplant width-wise into ½-inch thick pieces. Line a large cookie sheet with three layers of paper towels. Lay out as many eggplant pieces as will fit and generously salt. Cover with three more layers of paper towels and place remaining eggplant slices on top, salt, and cover with more paper towels. Place a heavy object on top (I use heavy lids from saucepans). Let sit for at least ½ hour and up to 1½ hours.

2. Prepare a gas or charcoal grill or preheat oven to 425°. Use the paper towels to rub the salt off the eggplant. If you are grilling, place eggplant slices over the fire or coals, with the grill close to the flame, and char each side (4 to 5 minutes per side). Stack eggplant on a tray as finished. If baking, pour olive oil in a small bowl. Place eggplant slices on two to three cookie sheets rubbed with olive oil. Brush tops of eggplant slices with olive oil and roast for 10 minutes. Flip over and roast another 10 minutes until browned. Remove and let sit until needed.

Topping

½ cup breadcrumbs
½ cup Parmesan cheese

Assembly and baking

Can be assembled four hours in advance.

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly oil a 12 x 9-inch ceramic or metal casserole dish. 

2. Line the bottom of the casserole with eggplant, using all but eight slices. Pour filling over the eggplant. Position the eight remaining eggplant slices evenly over the top.

3. Pour the béchamel over the casserole. Sprinkle top first with breadcrumbs, then with Parmesan. Cover with aluminum foil and bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 30 minutes. Remove foil, turn oven to 400°, and bake an additional 15 to 20 minutes until brown and bubbly. Remove from oven and let sit 10 minutes before serving.