Moussaka

A Turkish meat and eggplant casserole

Moussaka was like the lasagna of the Ottoman Empire: over time, every home in every country that was once part of the empire has a unique way of preparing this dish. Its name means simply fried vegetables with minced meat. In Bulgaria, which was part of the Ottoman Empire for centuries, we made potato moussaka with our friend Venzi. While we were in Istanbul, we ate a version that used eggplant instead. I prefer the eggplant version, especially topped with a white sauce, and I have made this filling casserole several times since returning home. I suppose that ground beef can be substituted for ground lamb, but I imagine that the flavor will suffer considerably.

Ingredients:

· 3 eggplants

· Sunflower oil

· 2 T butter

· 2 onions

· 8 cloves of garlic

· ¼ c. raisins, soaked in water

· 1 lb. ground lamb

· 2 T cinnamon

· 2 T dried oregano

· Salt and ground pepper

· 2 T butter

· 3 T plain flour

· 1 ½ c. milk

· Pinch of nutmeg

Directions:

1. Slice eggplants crosswise and soak in salt water for an hour.

2. Drain the eggplants and press dry on a towel.

3. Put a ¼ inch layer of sunflower in a large frying pan and heat to medium. Fry the eggplants until golden (but not crispy) on both sides. Add more oil when needed.

4. Drain the eggplant on newspapers or paper towels.

5. Sauté onions in the butter over medium-low heat until soft. Turn heat to medium and add the lamb. Cook for 5 minutes.

6. Add the garlic, raisins, cinnamon, and oregano, and cook for a few more minutes (until liquid is absorbed). Season the mixture with salt and ground pepper.

7. Layer the eggplants and the meat filling in an oven proof dish, starting with and ending with the eggplants.

8. To prepare the sauce, melt butter in a saucepan. Add flour and stir to make a roux. Quickly add the milk all at once. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the sauce thickens. Season with salt.

9. Spread the sauce evenly over the top layer of eggplants. Sprinkle with nutmeg.

10. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes at 400° F. The sauce should be beginning to brown.

11. Serve in squares.

Next time make sure you vary the recipe to suit your family’s tastes, in true Ottoman fashion.