"Maiden" Moussaka

My fellow architect friend Heidi shared this recipe with me one night and I fell in love with this dish and I have been making it ever since. Layers of eggplant, spiced meat, and a flavorful custard top make this dish in a sense a "Greek Lasagna". Try it out, you will love it too!
In thinking of a Greek piece of architecture to inspire my moussaka dish, I was reminded of the Caryatid porch or "porch of the maidens" as some call it, of the Erectheion. Like the beautiful Caryatids who hold up the structure; in this dish layers of eggplant hold up the top layers of meat and custard to make a harmonious and tasty dish. 


Ingredients:

• 
  
  
  
  • 1 medium sized eggplant
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 2 pounds ground beef ( you can use lamb if you want to be authentic)
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1 15-ounce can tomato sauce
  • 3/4 cup dry red wine
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • about 1 tablespoon of nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 stick butter
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 2 cups milk
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
   

How to Make It,

1. Cut eggplant into 1/4" slices, brush with a bit of olive oil, and bake in a 350°F oven for 20 minutes, then set aside.
2. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium/high heat. Add ground beef and chopped onion and cook until beef is brown, breaking up beef with fork, about 15 minutes. 
3. Mix in tomato sauce, red wine, parsley, crumbled oregano and ground cinnamon. Simmer until mixture thickens and is almost dry, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes.
4. Butter 13 x 9 x 2-inch glass baking dish. Arrange half of eggplant in bottom of dish and cook ahead of time a 350°F. oven for 20 minutes and set aside.
5. tomato sauce, red wine, parsley, crumbled oregano and ground cinnamon. Simmer until mixture thickens and is almost dry, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes.
6. Preheat oven to 350°F. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium/low heat. Add flour and stir 1 minute. 
7. Gradually add milk, whisking until smooth. Boil until thick, stirring constantly, about 2 minutes. 
8. Beat eggs in small bowl to blend. 
9. Whisk small amount of milk mixture into eggs. Return mixture to saucepan. 
10. Bring to boil, whisking constantly, then remove from heat.
11. Stir in 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese. 
12. Season custard to taste with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
13. Spread meat mixture over the eggplant.
14. Pour hot custard cheese sauce over eggplant. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan. 
15. Cover loosely with foil and bake 50 minutes. 
16. Uncover and continue baking until golden and bubbling on edges, about 10 minutes longer. Cool 10 minutes.