My Meaty Moussaka

Moussaka! The Greek dish that everybody loves to hate. Mostly because they've had the "tourist-version" of it. This is a more original recipe, but with my own few twists and turns. It keeps great for a day or 2 in the fridge and can even be frozen.

For the Moussaka you'll need:

Bechamel:
40g of Butter
3½ tsp Flour
6 dl Whole Milk
½ tsp Salt
½ tsp grated Nutmeg
A good twist of Pepper
150g of grated Cheese (I used a danish cheese called Amber Cheese, tastes a bit like Comte and Gruyere)

Sauce:
1 kg ground Beef
4 Onions
3 cloves of Garlic
1 Courgette (or 2 small)
2 Bay leaves
3 Sage leaves
1 sprig of Rosemary
1 Chili
1 tbs Oregano
1 tbs Paprika
Zest of half a Lemon
2 cans of Tomato
Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper

Other:
1 Eggplant (or 2 small)
100g of grated Cheese (the same as above)


Bechamel:
Melt the butter in a pot, add the flour to make a thick Roux. Add the cold milk little by little and stir to avoid lumps. Add the spices and the cheese, and let it dissolve. Put to a side.

Sauce:
Saute the diced onions until translucent, add the chopped garlic and cook through for 1 minute. Put to a side. Saute the diced courgette until translucent. Put to a side. Fry the ground beef, then add the vegetables, the spices and 2 cans of chopped Tomato. Season to taste. If it's to thick add a small glass of white wine or water.

Chop the eggplant into big slices and fry in olive oil at medium heat.

Add the sauce to a greased tray. Put the fried eggplant on top, then the bechamel. Top of with a healthy amount of grated Cheese, and put in a preheated oven at 185 C until the cheese is golden brown. (Don't serve before it has chilled for 10 minutes).

Suggested drinks: Retsina