Moussaka is the dish most people in Britain name when asked about Greek food, and also the one they are least likely to have eaten properly. Done well, it is one of the great slow dishes of the Mediterranean. Done badly, it is a rectangle of beige.
What goes into it
Three layers, built in a deep tray:
- The base. Sliced potato and aubergine, cooked first so they are soft all the way through.
- The sauce. Minced meat, traditionally lamb or beef, cooked slowly with tomato, onion and oregano, often with a little cinnamon or allspice in the background.
- The top. A thick béchamel, baked until it sets and browns.
Younger than you think
Layered aubergine dishes have been cooked around the eastern Mediterranean for centuries, but the moussaka most people know, with its French-style béchamel crust, owes a lot to one man. Nikolaos Tselementes, a Greek chef trained in Europe, published it in his cookbooks in the 1920s, and those books became the standard kitchen reference in Greek homes. The national dish, in its current form, is only about a hundred years old.
Why it cannot be rushed
Every layer is cooked separately before assembly. The sauce needs time to reduce and deepen. Then the whole tray bakes, and then, the step everyone skips at home, it has to rest. Cut a moussaka straight from the oven and it slides apart. Leave it and the layers settle into clean slices.
Greek families will tell you it is better the next day. They are right.
Our two versions
Beef moussaka. Slow-cooked minced beef in a tomato and oregano sauce, layered with potato, aubergine and other vegetables, finished with béchamel and cheddar.
Vegetarian moussaka. Aubergine, courgette, peppers and spinach slow-cooked in the same tomato and oregano sauce, layered with potato and topped with béchamel. Not a lesser dish, just a different one.
What to eat with it
Moussaka is rich, so pair it with something sharp: a Greek salad, the beetroot and feta salad, or a bowl of olives. A glass of dry Greek red, such as the Agiorgitiko and Syrah from Nemea, works well. Start with a couple of dips to share and you have a very Greek evening.