| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 3 hr 15 min |
| Prep: | 30 min |
| Inactive: | 55 min |
| Cook: | 1 hr 50 min |
| Yield: | 6 to 8 servings |
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup dried currants
- 1/4 cup Greek extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 pound ground lamb
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 large yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced
- 1 red bell pepper, stemmed, cored, and thinly sliced
- 1 serrano chile, finely diced
- 5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 cup red wine
- 1 (28-ounce can) plum tomatoes, pureed until smooth with their juices
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley, plus more for garnish
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
- Honey, if needed
- 1 1/2 cups canola oil
- 1 1/2 pounds eggplant, cut crosswise into 14-thick slices
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup flour
- 2 1/2 cups milk
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 3 egg yolks
- 1/2 cup soft goat cheese
- 1 cup grated Romano
- 1 lemon, zested
Instructions
- For the lamb: Soak the currants in warm water for 30 minutes. Drain.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a 6-quart saucepan over high heat. Add the lamb, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, cayenne, and salt and pepper and cook, stirring to break up the meat, until browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer the lamb to a large strainer set over a bowl and drain; discard any liquid left in the pan. Return the pan to the heat and add the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil and heat until it begins to shimmer. Add the onions and bell pepper and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the serrano and garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.
- Return the lamb to the pan, add the wine, and cook, stirring occasionally, until almost completely evaporated, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato puree and currants and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until thickened, about 30 minutes. Stir in the parsley and oregano and season with salt and pepper and honey, if needed. Remove from the heat.
- For the eggplant: Heat the canola oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Season the eggplant slices on both sides with salt and pepper. Working in batches, add the eggplant slices and fry until tender and lightly golden brown on both sides, about 5 minutes. Transfer the eggplant slices to paper towels.
- For the bechamel: Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and cook, whisking constantly, until pale and smooth, 2 minutes. Still whisking constantly, add the milk and bay leaf and cook until thickened. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg and discard the bay leaf. Let the sauce cool for 5 minutes. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, goat cheese, and lemon zest and whisk into the bechamel sauce until smooth.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Butter a 3-quart baking dish or casserole dish.
- To assemble: Put half the eggplant slices in the dish and cover with half the meat sauce. Top the sauce with the remaining eggplant slices, and then the remaining meat sauce. Pour the bechamel over the top of the meat sauce and spread evenly with a rubber spatula. Sprinkle Romano evenly over the top, place the dish on a baking sheet, and bake until browned and bubbly, 45 to 50 minutes. Top with more chopped parsley, if desired. Let cool for at least 20 minutes before serving.
Reviews
I aways double this recipe because it’s so delicious and quite a bit of work, so I serve one and put the other in the freezer for another time. Sometimes, when I’m being particularly carb-naughty, I do add a layer of potatoes. Sometimes I add a layer of zucchini to bulk it up too. I love the sweetness of the cinnamon and allspice mixed with the heat of the serrano chile and cayenne pepper. I’ve also made a vegetarian version with finely chopped/processed and sauted cremini mushrooms as a replacement for the lamb.
I made tis and it was absolutely lovely!!!!!! Possibly one of the tastiest things I have ever made. I did add the honey. I also used my own raw pizza sauce that I made earlier in the week. It’s made with san marzano tomatoes. So yummy!!!! Also I added a layer of boiled potato slices. Fantastic!!!! Thanks Bobby!!!! I can’t wait to eat it this week. It was meal prep.
Long time to make but worth it. Will definitely make again !
Outstanding but I also added potatoes, zucchini and carrots
I typically love Bobby Flay’s recipes, so I was really reluctant to admit that I didn’t like each and every aspect of this recipe. The meat sauce WAS delicious though, as well as the eggplant. I’m Greek, and my family recipe calls for both eggplant and potatoes in Moussaka, so I added roasted potato slices for nostalgia’s sake. All great. What I didn’t love was the béchamel, as I unfortunately felt it was too floury for the amount of milk called for, which made the sauce a bit gluey and not very silky. The recipe would’ve been much better with 4 cups of milk instead of 2 1/2, in my opinion. I’ve never made a Greek béchamel with so much flour. Goat cheese was a nice touch, however. Pretty good over all, but not perfect.
I’m not sure where I went wrong with this but although the flavors were great, it was way too tomato-y. I couldn’t really detect the eggplant either. It was like eating a big pan of lamb bolognese sauce. A disappointing result for such a long prep time.
Bobby knows his stuff and this one does not disappoint. It’s my default mousaka recipe and better than what I’ve had in maybe all but one fancy Greek restaurant. It’s complex but every step is worth it.
Amazing recipe! We could not find eggplant and substituted zucchini. We made the recipe again with a different meat and it was just as good. We will save this recipe.
Very delicious! My friend commented that this was better than Opa’s in Los Gatos, CA. I used baby eggplants that I had on hand, and cut them in half. The next time I make this I will use full eggplants, sliced. I am definitely making this again, even though it takes the full two hours of prep. It was worth the time and effort.
Delicious. Do plan 2 plus hours to make the recipe.