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Moussaka with Metsovone Béchamel

Name: Moussaka with Metsovone Béchamel
Total time: 3 h 46 min
Yield: Serves 6 to 8
Cuisine: Greek
Ingredients: 85 g unsalted butter, 6 tablespoons; 50 g all-purpose flour, 6 tablespoons; 1440 ml milk, warmed slightly; 160 ml heavy cream; ½ tsp nutmeg, freshly grated; salt and black pepper, to taste; 2 large eggs; 100 g metsovone or smoked provolone, grated (about 1 cup); 120 g ricotta or Greek anthotyro, about 1/2 cup; 50 g kefalotyri, kefalograviera, Romano or Parmigiano, grated (about 1/2 cup); 150 ml extra-virgin olive oil, 30 ml for the sauce, the rest for brushing the eggplant and oiling the dish; 4 medium to large onions, chopped; 900 g lean ground beef; 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped; 2 whole cloves; 1 stick cinnamon, or 1/2 teaspoon ground; 2 leaves bay leaves; 1 pinch allspice; salt and black pepper, to taste; 120 ml dry red wine; 700 g canned diced tomatoes, with juice (about 3 cups); 3 tbsp tomato paste; 6 large eggplants, trimmed and sliced lengthwise into 6 mm ovals; 65 g plain dry bread crumbs, or 2 large potatoes, peeled, sliced 3 mm and baked until soft (about 2/3 cup crumbs); 100 g kefalotyri, kefalograviera or Romano, grated, for the top (about 1 cup)

Layers of oven-softened eggplant and a clove-and-cinnamon beef sauce beneath a thick smoked-cheese béchamel enriched with eggs, ricotta and kefalotyri. A bar-restaurant classic from old Athens.

YieldServes 6 to 8
Hands-on1 h 50 min
Total3 h 46 min
Difficulty

Ingredients

Béchamel

85 gunsalted butter, 6 tablespoons
50 gall-purpose flour, 6 tablespoons
1440 mlmilk, warmed slightly
160 mlheavy cream
½ tspnutmeg, freshly grated
to tastesalt and black pepper
2large eggs
100 gmetsovone or smoked provolone, grated (about 1 cup)
120 gricotta or Greek anthotyro, about 1/2 cup
50 gkefalotyri, kefalograviera, Romano or Parmigiano, grated (about 1/2 cup)

Meat sauce

150 mlextra-virgin olive oil, 30 ml for the sauce, the rest for brushing the eggplant and oiling the dish
4medium to large onions, chopped
900 glean ground beef
3 clovesgarlic, finely chopped
2whole cloves
1 stickcinnamon, or 1/2 teaspoon ground
2 leavesbay leaves
1 pinchallspice
to tastesalt and black pepper
120 mldry red wine
700 gcanned diced tomatoes, with juice (about 3 cups)
3 tbsptomato paste

Assembly

6large eggplants, trimmed and sliced lengthwise into 6 mm ovals
65 gplain dry bread crumbs, or 2 large potatoes, peeled, sliced 3 mm and baked until soft (about 2/3 cup crumbs)
100 gkefalotyri, kefalograviera or Romano, grated, for the top (about 1 cup)

Contains

Gluten
Dairy
Egg
Sulfites
Goat, sheep, buffalo or camel milk
Birds' eggs (any)
Wheat
Olive
Grapes
Nightshades (any)
Tomato
Eggplant (aubergine)
Onion family (any)
Onion
Garlic
Bay leaf
Black and white pepper
Allspice
Cinnamon
Clove
Nutmeg
Yeast
All mammal meat (alpha-gal)
Beef and veal
Histamine (aged and fermented foods)
Tyramine
Lactose
FODMAPs (any)
Alcohol

Taste

Sweet
Sour / bright
Salty
Umami / savory
Bitter
Richness / fat
Smoke
Aromatic spice

Texture

Creamy
Tender-braised

Equipment

Oven
Stovetop

Season

Summer
Fall

Occasion

Weekend project
Entertaining

Effort

Over 90 min active
Over 3 hours total
Difficulty 3
Make-ahead friendly
Leftovers-friendly

Nutrition

Calories: high
Protein: high
Carbs: high
Fat: high
Fiber: high
Sodium: high

Budget

Budget: moderate

What it costs to shop for

Members can download a cost breakdown for any recipe in Excel: what to buy after trimming, how many packages, and the cost per serving, scaled to however many you’re cooking for.

Method

The method is for members

The timed method (mise en place, a cook timeline with minutes per step, and cook mode with timers) is delivered to members in their packages, adapted to how they cook.

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