Pictorial: Moussaka!

"... a traditional aubergine (eggplant)-based dish in the Balkans and the Middle East" [1]

main ingredients

500 GR ground lamb (~1 LBS)
1 CUP veg stock (homemade or instant)
10 X potatoes (cooked, sliced)
4 X garlic cloves
2 X eggplant
1 X salt (to taste)
1 X black pepper (to taste)
1 X mozzarella (optional)
1 X bunch of parsley (chopped)
1 TBSP cinnamon
1 TBSP all spice
1 TBSP ginger
3 TBSP tomato paste
4 TBSP breadcrumbs
2-4 TSP honey (or more to taste)
2-4 TSP nutmeg (or more to taste)

béchamel sauce ingredients

150 GR butter (~5.3 OZ)
1 L milk (~4 CUPS)
4 TBSP flour
1 TSP nutmeg (or more to taste)
1 TSP salt (or more to taste)
1 TSP black pepper (or more to taste)

first the béchamel, melt butter in a pot, lower the heat, slowly add flour while whisking,
stir continuously to combine, then slowly add milk while whisking, simmer until sauce-like,
season with salt, black pepper and nutmeg



pick a casserole, slice the eggplant, try to have one full casserole-sized layer,
salt the slices generously (this will suck some of the bitterness out of them),
set a side, 30-120 min should do the job



heat a pan, add oil, mince onions, saute them until gold brown, add lamb



stir fry until the pinkness of the lamb is gone, mince garlic and add to pan



simmer slowly until the lamb is gently browned, deglaze the pan with the stock,
then add tomato paste, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg ... season to taste with salt,
pepper and honey, simmer until the stock is almost completely vaporised



wash off the salt from the eggplant slices, place them on a tinfoiled baking tray,
season with salt, pepper and olive oil, slide the tray under the broiler (oven grill),
flip when nicely browned, remove from broiler when both sides are done



butter the casserole, add a layer of sliced potatoes and some chopped parsley



add a thin layer of béchamel, then all of the lamb sauce



place the eggplant slices on top of the meat sauce layer



add another layer of chopped parsley, spread out the rest of the béchamel sauce,
top with sliced mozzarella and breadcrumbs



bake the casserole until all the mozzarella melted, if possible switch from baking
to broiling/grilling to brown the mozzarella a little



remove from oven when nicely browned and the whole casserole is bubbling



slice the moussaka according to the number of guests or servings,
garnish with some of the remaining parsley, serve piping hot