Classic Greek Moussaka with Eggplant

Preparation

Prepare the vegetables:

With strong economic eggplant, partially peeled, so peel strips about 1 inch wide around the eggplant. Cut the eggplant into slices 1/2 inch. Put the eggplant in a colander and salt generously. Cover with a plate inversely weighted by a heavy or container. Place the colander in the sink, so that excess moisture can be drawn. You must stay for at least 15-20 minutes, preferably one hour sitting.

Salt helps remove even some of the bitterness of the eggplant.

Peel the potatoes and cook them together until they are cooked. You should not be too soft, enough to cook further crises. Drain, cool and cut into 1/4 inch slices. Put aside.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Line two plates in aluminum foil and lightly oil cake. Add a little water to easily pierce the egg whites and beat with a fork. Add the bread crumbs on a plate.

Rinse the eggplant slices and dry with paper towels. Dip eggplant slices in beaten egg whites and then dredge in bread crumbs, coating both sides. Show breaded eggplant on dish and bake at 400 degrees for half an hour, rotates once while cooking.

When the eggplant is cooking done, lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees.

Make the meat filling:

In a large skillet, brown the ground beef (or lamb) until the pink color disappears. Add onion and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes.

Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

To reduce in wine to the pan and cook, and a little before adding cinnamon, pepper, parsley, tomato paste, crushed tomatoes and sugar. Let the sauce and cook for about 15 minutes, so that excess liquid can evaporate. It should be a dry sauce, tomato large. Season with salt and pepper.

Prepare the béchamel:

Melt the butter over low heat. With a blender, add the flour and the melted butter, whisking constantly mixed to a smooth paste. Allow the flour to cook for a minute, but do not let it brown.

Add the milk mixture in a steady stream heated, whisking constantly.

Simmer until slightly thick, but do not boil.

Remove from heat and add the beaten egg yolks and pinch of nutmeg. Return to heat and stir until the sauce thickens.

Moussaka Assembly:

Oil a baking dish large depth (lasagna pan). Sprinkle the bottom of the pan with bread crumbs. When leaving a 1/4 inch space at the edges of the pan, place a layer of potatoes on the bottom. Cover with a layer of eggplant slices.

Add the sauce on top of the layer of eggplant and sprinkle with 1/4 of the grated cheese. Cover coat with another layer of eggplant slices and again with 1/4 of the grated cheese.

Pour. The bechamel over the eggplant, making sure to leave the sauce to cover the sides and corners of the pan Smooth bechamel strikeouts on the top with a spatula and with remaining cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until the sauce bechamel browned. Allow it to cool for 15-20 minutes before slicing and serving.

You can before this court, to make the bechamel sauce and refrigerate. Make the bechamel sauce just before you intend to cook.