Preparation

• To prepare this Greek moussaka recipe, begin by preparing the eggplants. Remove the stalks from the eggplants and cut them into slices, 1 cm thick. Season with salt and place in a colander for about half an hour.
• Rinse the eggplants with plenty of water and squeeze with your hands, to get rid of the excessive water. Pat them dry and fry in plenty of oil, until nicely colored. Place the fried eggplants on some paper, to absorb the oil.
• If you are adding potatoes to your moussaka, now it's time to slice them into 0.5cm slices. Fry them or bake them in the same way as the eggplants. Season with some salt and set them aside when done.
• Prepare the meat sauce for the moussaka. Heat a large pan to medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Stir in the chopped onions and sauté, until softened and slightly colored. Stir in the mince, breaking it up with a wooden spoon and sauté until it starts to brown.
• Add the garlic and tomato paste and sauté until the garlic starts to soften. Pour in the red wine to deglaze the meat juices and wait to evaporate. Add the tinned tomatoes, sugar, a pinch of cinnamon, bay leaf, cloves, and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Bring to the boil then turn the heat down and simmer with the lid on for about 30 minutes.
• Prepare the béchamel sauce. Use a large pan to melt the butter over low-medium heat. Add the flour whisking continuously to make a paste. Add warmed milk in a steady stream; keep whisking to prevent your sauce from getting lumpy.
• Remove the béchamel pan from the stove and stir in the egg yolks, salt, pepper, a pinch of nutmeg, and most of the grated cheese. Reserve some cheese to sprinkle on top! Whisk quickly, to prevent the eggs from turning an omelette. Take one spoonful of béchamel and stir it in the meat sauce. Set the béchamel sauce aside.
• Now it’s time to assemble the moussaka. Butter the bottom and sides of the pan and layer the potatoes first (if you’re using them), then half the eggplants. Pour in all of the meat sauce and spread it out evenly. Add a second layer of eggplants, top with all of the béchamel sauce and smooth out with a spatula.
• Sprinkle with the remaining grated cheese. Preheat your oven to 180C/350F and bake your moussaka for about 60 minutes or until its crust turns light golden brown.
• Allow the moussaka to cool down before cutting into pieces to prevent the béchamel sauce from pouring out.