Moussaka

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Yield: Serves 6

Measures

To eliminate the bitter flavor from eggplants, sprinkle liberally with salt and let them sit for 20 minutes. Then rinse to remove the salt and pat dry.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Cover the oven rack with aluminum foil and place the sliced eggplants on the rack in a single layer.

Bake in the preheated oven until eggplants are soft, about 25-30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly.

Heat the oil in a non-stick skillet over medium-low heat. Fry the eggplants until golden brown (do not use too much oil). Place them on a paper towel to absorb the extra oil.

Meanwhile prepare the meat mixture: heat 1-tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for 10-12 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute.

Increase heat to medium-high. Add the ground beef and cook until no longer pink, stirring occasionally.

Reduce heat to medium and add the allspice, oregano, turmeric powder, cinnamon, crushed tomatoes, salt and pepper to taste. Mix well and cook for 2 minutes.

Add 1/4 cup water. Bring to a simmer, and cook uncovered for 20 minutes. Set the meat mixture aside.

To prepare the potatoes: peel and cut the potatoes lengthwise, into 1/4-inch thick slices.

In a pot, bring 6 cups of salted water to a boil. Add the potato slices and cook for 5-6 minutes over medium-high heat (you want them under-cooked, but no longer crunchy). Drain and set aside.

To prepare the white sauce: dissolve flour in cold milk. Set aside.

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the dissolved flour into the melted butter. Stir constantly until mixed and all the lumps are gone, about 2 minutes.

Continue cooking over medium-low heat until sauce begins to thicken, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and let sit for 5-6 minutes. Add the nutmeg and salt; stir well.

Then slowly add the egg yolks into the white sauce, whisking all the time.

Preheat the oven to 360 F.

Layer an 8x11-inch baking dish with the potatoes, overlapping slightly.

Top the layer of potatoes with a layer of eggplant slices (use just half of the slices).

Cover the eggplant slices with the meat mixture.

Then layer remaining eggplant slices on top of the meat mixture and sprinkle with half of the mozzarella cheese.

Pour the white sauce over and sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top.

Bake until the top is golden browned, about for 40-50 minutes. Allow the moussaka to cool for a few minutes before serving.

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