Greek moussaka, we couldn't imagine how tasty it would turn out this way! Grillers as we are, we added to the classic moussaka the taste of the roast. We did this by grilling the meat on charcoals over strong heat before mincing it! In fact, we did the same for the eggplants and the potatoes. The spice mixture, sauce, and the unique way of preparing the béchamel sauce are a few of the other elements in this truly fantastic moussaka recipe. Let's see all the details step-by-step, from the ingredients to slow cooking in the woodfired oven.
For the mince:
For the tomato sauce:
For the bechamel sauce:
For the side dish (optional):
Your first task (if you have a woodfired oven) is to light the fire and cook the tomato sauce when your oven is ready. Use the charcoals of the oven to grill the meat first over strong heat. Flip the steaks two times on each side until they gain color on the outside but are cooked “rare” on the inside. Remove the steaks and leave them on the side to cool down. Continue by roasting the potatoes and eggplants. Cut them into 5 mm-thick slices. Salt them on both sides and add extra virgin olive oil. Grill the potatoes until they gain a nice color and are softened. Grill the eggplants when they gain a nice roast color. Remove them and leave them on the side to cool down as well.
Inside a clay pot, place all the tomato sauce ingredients. Cover it with a lid and slow cook the tomato sauce in the woodfired oven until all the ingredients have softened and they are left with little juice. If you are cooking in an electric oven, cook the sauce for 2 hours at 180°C. Leave it to cool down and pulp it with a stick blender.
When the meat has cooled down, pass it through the mincer through 6 mm holes. Now you can prepare the mince. Inside a large pot, put the tomato sauce and bring it to a boil on your stove at low heat. When it comes to a boil, add the mince and leave the mixture to slow cook for 30 minutes at low heat. Then remove it and leave it on the side.
Gather all your ingredients to start layering your moussaka. Inside a clay pot (around 38 cm in diameter) layer the potato slices first in a way that each one covers half of the one next to it so there are no empty spots (refer to the video above). On the potatoes, add some of the grated cheese and then add a layer of mince.
At this point, you can start preparing your bechamel sauce. In a large pot, simmer the 4 lt of milk. Meanwhile, in another vessel, add the 500 ml sunflower oil and add slowly while constantly stirring the flour. Stir well until you have an even mixture. When the milk starts steaming, lower the heat and add slowly the mixture of sunflower oil and flour to the milk. Add it while constantly stirring until the sauce starts to thicken. Remove the bechamel sauce when it gains a creme-like texture.
Continue the layering of your moussaka by doing something unusual, which however will give a unique taste and make a difference; Over the first mince layer, layer just a little of the bechamel sauce. Continue by adding some graviera cheese and then a layer of mince again. On top of the mince, add a layer of eggplants the same way as the potatoes, without leaving any empty spots. Then add some graviera cheese again and finish it off with the final layer of bechamel sauce. On the very top of your moussaka, add some of the remaining grated graviera cheese.
Now you’re ready to cook! Cook in your electric oven at 180°C for around 30 minutes. If you are using a woodfired oven, cook by starting at 200°C and for around 45 minutes or a little more. Alongside your moussaka, cook the cherry tomatoes with olive oil and spices. In your electric oven, cook it after you have removed your moussaka.
Leave your moussaka to cool down for at least 1 hour. Serve each piece with some of the cherry tomatoes on the side and sprinkle with a pinch of sumac.
Happy Cooking, everyone!