The most famous Greek oven dish: layers of potato, roasted aubergine and spiced mince with a hint of cinnamon, covered with a thick, golden-brown béchamel. A dish for Sunday; allow some time, but the result is a real showstopper.
Moussaka
Moussaka
Method
01
Aubergines
Cut the aubergines into slices, sprinkle with salt and leave to rest for 30 min. Rinse, pat dry, brush with olive oil and roast for approx. 25 min in the oven (180 °C) until soft and golden brown.
02
Potatoes
Cut into slices and fry or roast until just cooked.
03
Meat sauce
Sweat the onion until translucent, add the garlic and fry the mince until crumbly. Deglaze with the wine and reduce almost completely. Add the tomatoes, purée and herbs and leave to simmer gently for approx. 45 min to a thick sauce. Remove the cinnamon stick and the bay leaves.
04
Béchamel
Melt the butter, stir in the flour and cook for 2 min. Gradually add the warm milk, stirring constantly, to a thick sauce. Take off the heat, stir in the cheese and nutmeg and leave to cool for 5 min. Then stir in the eggs. Season with salt and white pepper.
05
Assemble
Grease an ovenproof dish. Put the potatoes at the bottom, then a layer of aubergine, then the meat sauce, then another layer of aubergine. Pour the béchamel over the top as the final layer. If you like, sprinkle with extra cheese.
06
Bake
Bake for approx. 50 min at 180 °C until the top is deep golden brown.
07
Rest
Leave to rest for at least 45 min. This is essential: fresh from the oven, moussaka falls apart; after resting you cut neat, firm slices.
Tips & notes
Only stir the eggs into the slightly cooled béchamel, otherwise they set. And as hard as it is: that rest after baking really makes the difference between a mush and a taverna-worthy slice. Keeps for 3–4 days in the fridge, and freezes very well (up to 3 months); the flavour often deepens further the next day.
Variations
- Replace the potato with an extra layer of aubergine for a lighter version.
- Use minced lamb instead of minced beef for a more authentic flavour.
Contains:
Gluten
Eggs
Milk
Sulphites
Serve with
| Calories | 667 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 32 g |
| Carbohydrates | 42 g |
| Fat | 41 g |
| Fibre | 7 g |
Estimated values, calculated from standard nutritional values per ingredient.
