I had never really cooked hotdish, but my restaurant entered this moussaka in a local hotdish festival, so I think it qualifies! It’s based on a Turkish version of the dish, with French lentils in place of ground meat.
| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 3 hr |
| Active: | 1 hr 30 min |
| Yield: | 8 servings |
Ingredients
- 3 medium eggplants (3 to 4 pounds)
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt
- 2 cups dried French lentils
- Vegetable oil, for frying, plus more for the pan
- 4 large russet potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick
- 1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 3 cups tomato puree
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- Freshly ground pepper
- 1 cinnamon stick, broken into pieces
- 2 cups milk
- 3 cups heavy cream
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 6 large egg yolks
- 1 cup crumbled sheep’s milk feta cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400˚ F. Char the eggplants over a gas burner, turning with tongs, 4 to 6 minutes. Let cool, then slice 1/2 inch thick.
- Arrange the eggplant slices on two baking sheets. Brush with olive oil on both sides and season with salt. Roast until golden and cooked through, 20 to 22 minutes. Set aside.
- Combine 6 cups water and the lentils in a large saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cook until the lentils are tender but not mushy, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain and let cool.
- Fill a large wide pot with 1 inch of vegetable oil. Heat over medium-high heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 350˚ F or a piece of bread dropped in turns golden quickly. Working in batches, fry the potato slices a few at a time until golden but not too brown, 5 to 6 minutes. Remove the potatoes to a rack to drain and season with salt.
- Make the lentil-tomato sauce: Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a large wide pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until softened and starting to brown, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 more minute. Add the cooled lentils and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the tomato puree, tomato paste, 1/2 cup water, the oregano, 2 teaspoons salt and 3 grinds of pepper and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- Make the béchamel: Combine the cinnamon stick, milk and heavy cream in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat; cook 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the nutmeg and set aside.
- In another saucepan, melt the remaining 1 stick butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook, whisking, 3 to 5 minutes (do not let it brown). Slowly whisk in the heavy cream mixture, bring to a simmer and cook until thick and bubbling, 2 to 3 minutes; remove from the heat. Whisk the eggs in a large bowl, then temper them by whisking in 1 cup of the béchamel; whisk the tempered egg mixture into the remaining béchamel. Season with salt and pepper and add the feta.
- Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Oil an extra-large baking dish or roasting pan. Layer half of the eggplant in the bottom of the pan, then pour half of the lentil-tomato sauce on top, spreading it in an even layer. Top with a layer of half of the potatoes and then spread with half of the béchamel. Repeat the layers (eggplant, lentil-tomato sauce, potatoes, béchamel).
- Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes. (If the top browns too quickly, cover with foil during the last 15 minutes of baking.) Let cool, then cut into pieces.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 8 servings |
| Calories | 1836 |
| Total Fat | 151 g |
| Saturated Fat | 44 g |
| Carbohydrates | 101 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 16 g |
| Sugar | 20 g |
| Protein | 29 g |
| Cholesterol | 329 mg |
| Sodium | 1978 mg |
Reviews
This is so delish! Yes as zerogirl said below, it is labor intensive. Not difficult. There’s just a lot of steps. This is no more difficult a recipe than moussaka made with meat. and, with the lentils, so much healthier. This is a fantastic meal to make for a vegetarian celebration. Yes, time consuming, but you won’t have to cook for days because it makes so much!
I saw this recipe and saved it for a day when I could concentrate. It was labor intensive but so much fun and oh my goodness it is delicious!!! Thank you I love it! This makes a ton so be ready for left overs!!