EGGPLANT MOUSSAKA

Eggplant Moussaka image

Provided by Pierre Franey

Time 50m

Yield 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 18

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Ingredients

1 eggplant, about 1 1/2 pounds
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onions
2 teaspoons finely minced garlic
1 1/2 pounds lean ground meat, preferably lamb, although beef is acceptable
Salt to taste if desired
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup dry red wine
1/2 cup fresh or canned beef broth
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 1/4 cups canned crushed tomatoes
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk
1 egg yolk
5 or more tablespoons corn, peanut or olive oil
1/2 pound feta cheese, crumbled, about 1 1/2 cups

Steps:

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.
Trim off the ends of the eggplant. Cut the eggplant into 12 slices of equal width. Set aside.
Heat the 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet, and add the onions and garlic. Cook, stirring, until onions are wilted. Add the meat and cook, chopping down with the edge of a heavy metal kitchen spoon to break up any lumps. Add salt, pepper and cinnamon. Cook, stirring, until the meat loses its raw look.
Add the wine, broth and 1 cup of the crushed tomatoes and stir. Bring to a boil and cover. Simmer for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, melt the butter in a saucepan, and add the flour, stirring with a wire whisk. Add the milk while stirring rapidly with the whisk. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the remaining 1/4 cup crushed tomatoes.
Bring to a simmer, and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the egg yolk, and remove from the heat.
Sprinkle the eggplant slices with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of the corn oil in a large nonstick skillet, and add enough eggplant slices to cover the bottom. Cook about 45 seconds on one side; turn the slices and continue cooking for about 45 seconds. Remove the slices and drain.
Continue cooking the remaining eggplant in the same manner, adding a little more oil as necessary for each batch.
Arrange about a third of the eggplant slices in one layer on the bottom of a 2 1/2-quart baking dish. Spoon a third of the meat sauce over the eggplant slices. Continue making the layers in the same manner, ending with a layer of meat sauce. Spoon the white sauce over all.
Sprinkle the cheese over all, and place the dish in the oven. Bake 15 minutes. If desired, run the dish briefly under the broiler until the cheese is lightly browned.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 494, UnsaturatedFat 18 grams, Carbohydrate 20 grams, Fat 31 grams, Fiber 5 grams, Protein 35 grams, SaturatedFat 12 grams, Sodium 1024 milligrams, Sugar 11 grams, TransFat 0 grams