Oct 27, 2011, Updated Apr 09, 2024 Moussaka is one of my favourite dishes in the entire universe. If you come around here much, you may roll your eyes at that. I admit I show a lot of enthusiasm for many foods. I love a lot of foods. But there are very few I would commit to calling a favourite. Moussaka merits “favourite” status. Here’s why. Moussaka is hard core comfort food. Ground meat, rich tomato sauce, potatoes and creamy white sauce. Piping hot, and browned with crispy edges. It’s your mom’s shepherd’s pie meets your mom’s lasagna. That is a lot of comfort in one dish. Also, it intriguing. There is lamb. There’s cinnamon. There is nutmeg. There is roasted eggplant, and nutty kefalotyri (or parmesan) cheese. It’s familiar, but it’s got interest. Comfort food, elevated. I have a pearl of wisdom to share with you. Salt your eggplant. I know it is an extra step, but this is exactly the step that turns “I hate eggplant” people into “I want my wedding cake made of eggplant” people. Too far? Okay, maybe. Salting the sliced eggplant and letting it stand serves to draw out the moisture, so that it will brown properly and have crispy edges with a gorgeous silken interior when cooked. Failure to perform this step will result in pale eggplant sponges that slurp up oil and are oily, soggy and slimy in a finished dish. I think that’s a pretty compelling argument for the extra step. I used a combination of eggplant and zucchini in my moussaka. Partially because, yes, they are a natural pair, and partly because I got a MONSTER zucchini at the farmers market for only TWO bucks! It is more than 2 feet tall. That means it was less than a buck a foot! Unfortunately, it’s skin is about 1/2 inch think and tough as nails, and I could only actually cut through the top 1/4. Ah well. It made an awesome pretend guitar. Feel free to use all eggplant and skip the zucchini if you prefer. NEXT READING: 37+ Delicious Mediterranean Casserole Recipes
