MOUSSAKA WITH ARTICHOKES, TOMATOES, AND POTATOES

Moussaka With Artichokes, Tomatoes, and Potatoes image

A delicious-sounding Greek recipe for the slow cooker from my Gourmet Vegetarian Slow Cooker book. This dish is topped with a thick custard using gruyere cheese and a hint of nutmeg. YUM!

Provided by DailyInspiration

Categories Lunch/Snacks

Time 5h30m

Yield 4-6 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 18

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Ingredients

1 russet potato, peeled and sliced
1 eggplant, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch thick crosswise slices
1 cinnamon stick
5 whole cloves
6 black peppercorns
2 allspice berries
1/4 cup olive oil (or less to taste)
1 large yellow onion, chopped
4 large garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup dry red wine
3 large tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, well-drained and halved
salt
4 cups milk
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup gruyere cheese, shredded
2 egg yolks
fresh grated nutmeg

Steps:

Layer the potatoes in the bottom of the slow cooker insert. Then layer all the eggplant slices on top.
Grind the cinnamon, cloves, peppercorns and allspice to a powder in an electric spice mill or mortar and pestle.
In a large saute pan, heat the oil and cook the onion until it begins to brown, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic, spices, wine, tomatoes, and artichokes and continue to simmer until the pan is nearly dry. Add salt to taste.
Pour the tomato-artichoke sauce carefully over the eggplant and potatoes (this dish can be assembled to this point a day ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator overnight). Cover and cook on low for about 4 hours, or until a skewer inserted into the stew easily penetrates all the layers.
While the vegetables are cooking, make the custard topping. Combine the milk and flour in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour the mixture into a saucepan and cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens enough to thickly coat the back of a spoon. Gradually stir in the cheese, then turn off the heat and rapidly whisk in the egg yolks one at a time. Stir in a dash of nutmeg.
Carefully pour the custard over the vegetables, trying not to dislodge them. Cover and continue cooking for about 1 hour longer, or until the custard is set.
Turn off the slow cooker and let the moussaka sit for 15-20 minutes, then carefully spoon up individual portions into a pasta bowl. Tip: The recipe suggests slicing up the dish into 4-6 portions right in the slow cooker insert with a sharp knife before removing the portions with a spoon.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 627.4, Fat 34.7, SaturatedFat 13.6, Cholesterol 146.9, Sodium 295.3, Carbohydrate 57.5, Fiber 17.1, Sugar 9.6, Protein 25.2