Milwaukee Moussaka Recipes

MOUSSAKA

Steps:

• Prick eggplants several times with a fork. On a large baking sheet, roast eggplants in 400 degree oven until soft, 35 to 45 minutes, turning frequently to prevent charring. Cool and slice eggplants into 1/2-inch pieces. In a saute pan heat 1/4 cup olive oil and brown eggplant slices, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with salt.
• Prepare tomato sauce: In a saucepan heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat, add 1 chopped onion and 2 chopped garlic cloves and saute until tender. Add tomatoes and their liquid, squeezing them with your hands into coarse chunks. Add parsley, pepper, oregano, cinnamon and vinegar. Bring tomato sauce to a boil, reduce heat to simmering and cook, uncovered, until thickened, about 25 minutes.
• Yield: About 3 1/2 cups sauce.
• Prepare lamb: Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil with onions and garlic over medium-high heat; saute until tender, 5 minutes. Add lamb and brown well, breaking up pieces with a wooden spoon. Add wine, bring to a boil and cook until wine has nearly evaporated. Season meat with salt, pepper and nutmeg and stir in 1/2 cup tomato sauce. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 1 hour.
• Prepare bechamel: In a saucepan melt butter over medium-low heat and gradually whisk in flour. Cook 1 minute, whisking constantly, but do not let roux brown. Slowly whisk in warm milk. Bring sauce to a slow boil, whisking constantly, reduce heat to barely simmering and cook 25 minutes, stirring frequently, until smooth and thickened. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Let cool slightly. In a bowl beat eggs and whisk in spoonful of sauce to warm. Whisk in remaining sauce in a thin stream and adjust seasoning, if needed.
• Assemble moussaka: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large baking dish (18x8x3-inches) sprinkle 2 tablespoons bread crumbs and cover evenly with half of eggplant. Drain as much oil from meat mixture as possible and spread over eggplant; top with half of Parmesan, then with half of remaining bread crumbs. Layer remaining eggplant, then bechamel sauce, remaining Parmesan and remaining bread crumbs in even layers. Dot top generously with butter. Bake 45 minutes until bubbly and top is well-browned. If necessary, brown top briefly under a preheated broiler. Cool slightly and cut into 3-inch squares to serve. Serve with extra tomato sauce, if desired.

MOUSSAKA

Steps:

• Lay the slices of eggplant on paper towels, sprinkle lightly with salt, and set aside for 30 minutes to draw out the moisture. Then in a skillet over high heat, heat the olive oil. Quickly fry the eggplant until browned. Set aside on paper towels to drain.
• In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter and add the ground beef, salt and pepper to taste, onions, and garlic. After the beef is browned, sprinkle in the cinnamon, nutmeg, fines herbs and parsley. Pour in the tomato sauce and wine, and mix well. Simmer for 20 minutes. Allow to cool, and then stir in beaten egg.
• To make the bechamel sauce, begin by scalding the milk in a saucepan. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Whisk in flour until smooth. Lower heat; gradually pour in the hot milk, whisking constantly until it thickens. Season with salt, and white pepper.
• Arrange a layer of eggplant in a greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Cover eggplant with all of the meat mixture, and then sprinkle 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese over the meat. Cover with remaining eggplant, and sprinkle another 1/2 cup of cheese on top. Pour the bechamel sauce over the top, and sprinkle with the nutmeg. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
• Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

MILWAUKEE MOUSSAKA

Steps:

• Slice eggplant lengthwise into 1/2 inch slices. Place slices into a colander and sprinkle with salt. Set the colander in the sink to drain off liquid.
• Cook bacon in a skillet over medium heat until evenly browned. Drain off excess grease. Add onion and green pepper to the skillet, and cook until tender. Stir in the tomatoes, and season with salt, pepper, thyme, marjoram, garlic powder and sage. Reduce heat to medium-low and let simmer for about 10 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Squeeze excess moisture from the eggplant. Fry the eggplant slices in the hot oil until browned on both sides. Arrange half of the eggplant slices in the bottom of a 1 1/2 quart baking dish. Top with half of the bacon and tomato mixture. Sprinkle with half of the Swiss cheese. Repeat layers ending with cheese on top.
• Bake, uncovered, for 35 to 45 minutes in the preheated oven. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving. Top with grated Parmesan cheese.

MILWAUKEE MOUSSAKA

Steps:

• Slice eggplant lengthwise into 1/2 inch slices. Place slices into a colander and sprinkle with salt. Set the colander in the sink to drain off liquid.
• Cook bacon in a skillet over medium heat until evenly browned. Drain off excess grease. Add onion and green pepper to the skillet, and cook until tender. Stir in the tomatoes, and season with salt, pepper, thyme, marjoram, garlic powder and sage. Reduce heat to medium-low and let simmer for about 10 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Squeeze excess moisture from the eggplant. Fry the eggplant slices in the hot oil until browned on both sides. Arrange half of the eggplant slices in the bottom of a 1 1/2 quart baking dish. Top with half of the bacon and tomato mixture. Sprinkle with half of the Swiss cheese. Repeat layers ending with cheese on top.
• Bake, uncovered, for 35 to 45 minutes in the preheated oven. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving. Top with grated Parmesan cheese.