MOUSSAKA, Greek traditional recipies

    MOUSSAKA




Ingredients
olive oil
3 large aubergines, sliced
2 chopped onions
3  cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1/2 tea spoon cinnamon
1/2 tea spoon sugar
pepper, salt
600 gr minced  beef
2 table spoons tomato purée, mixed with 150ml water or 1/2 k chopped tomatoes
Small bunch of flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 leaf laurel
For the bechamel:
4 cups milk(warm)
3/4 cup unsalted butter
1  cup flour
1 cup kefalotyri or pecorino cheese or parmesan, grated
2 eggs, beaten
salt, pepper, nutmeg

1. Cut the aubergines into round slices  and put them in salted water for about 1/2 hour. Squeeze the aubergines with your hands, to dry them . Fry them  in olive oil until nicely colored and then place them on some paper in order to absorb the oil.

2. Prepare the meat sauce:Put 2 tbsp olive oil into a  frying pan over a medium high heat and cook the onion for about 1 minute until  slightly coloured. Add the minced meat and brown it well. Add the garlic, cinnamon ,oregano, pepper, salt parsley and tomato. Turn the heat down low and cook for about 30 minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated.  

3. Prepare the bechamel:  Heat the butter in a saucepan over medium heat till it melts. Add the flour into the butter  stirring it  continuously with a whisk . Gradually pour in  the heated milk always whisking constantly.Add pepper nutmeg and salt. Take off the heat and add the beaten eggs  and the cheese. 

4. Put the half of the aubergines in the base of an oven dish, add salt, pepper and some grated cheese and top with half the meatsauce. Repeat these layers and top with the bechamel.   Sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top .Bake for about 40 minutes at 180 CF until nice browned.