Eggplant and Lamb Moussaka with Creamy Goat Cheese Bechamel
By: Sheri Wetherell
Published: Thursday, December 10, 2009 - 2:31am

Ingredients




4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 pound ground lamb
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, stemmed, cored, and thinly sliced
5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup red wine
1 (28-ounce can) plum tomatoes, pureed until smooth with their juices
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley, plus more for garnish
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
Eggplant:
1 1/2 cups canola oil
1 1/2 pounds eggplant, cut crosswise into 14-thick slices
Bechamel Sauce:
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup flour
2 1/2 cups milk
1 bay leaf
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
3 egg yolks
1/2 cup soft goat cheese
1 cup grated Romano
1 lemon, zested

Preparation

1 For the lamb: 2 Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large saucepan over high heat. Add the lamb, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and salt and pepper and sauté until browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer the lamb to a large strainer set over a bowl and drain; discard any liquid left in the pan. Return the pan to the heat and add the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil and heat until it begins to shimmer. Add the onions and red bell pepper and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute. Add the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute more. 3 Return the lamb to the pan, add the wine, and cook, stirring occasionally, until almost completely evaporated, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato puree and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until thickened, about 30 minutes. Stir in the parsley and oregano and season with salt and pepper and honey, if needed. Remove from the heat. 4 For the eggplant: Heat the canola oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Season the eggplant slices on both sides with salt and pepper. Working in batches, add the eggplant slices and fry until tender and lightly golden brown on both sides, about 5 minutes. Transfer the eggplant slices to paper towels. 5 For the bechamel: Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and cook, whisking constantly, until pale and smooth, 2 minutes. Still whisking constantly, add the milk and bay leaf and cook until thickened. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg and discard the bay leaf. Let the sauce cool for 5 minutes. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, goat cheese, and lemon zest and whisk into the bechamel sauce until smooth. 6 Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Butter a 3-quart baking dish or casserole dish. 7 To assemble: Put half the eggplant slices in the dish and cover with half the meat sauce. Top the sauce with the remaining eggplant slices, and then the remaining meat sauce. Pour the bechamel over the top of the meat sauce and spread evenly with a rubber spatula. Sprinkle Romano evenly over the top, place the dish on a baking sheet, and bake until browned and bubbly, 45 to 50 minutes. Top with more chopped parsley, if desired. Let cool for at least 20 minutes before serving.

About

This recipe is based on one from Bobby Flay. It's creamy, delicious and so comforting on a chilly night. The lamb is seasoned with fragrant spices like cinnamon, ginger, and allspice, which pair beautifully with the creamy goat cheese bechamel sauce. We omitted the cayenne and serrano pepper to make this more kid-friendly (we also omitted the currants from the lamb mixture), but if you'd like it spicy, which is not traditionally Greek, then add some heat to the ground lamb mixture.