A Distinctly Jewish Moussaka

Moussaka is an eggplant based casserole that can be made with mushrooms or meat and is most commonly associated with its Greek origins however, there are popular versions of this dish that were developed in Egypt and other parts of the Levant as well. 

The eggplant is layered with a meat or mushroom sauce, some versions include potatoes and it is topped with a decadent bechamel. The spices are often a warm blend that includes nutmeg or allspice, favourites of mine to add to meats. 

What makes my favourite moussaka distinctly Jewish is that this recipe was redeveloped to follow the kosher laws of a diaspora Jewish community that ended up living in Greece. In fact, a great many Jews ended up in Greece after the Hellenist Dynasty took over the Levant in the period between 323 BC and 30 BC but that’s a story for an entirely different blog. 

Early on in our relationship Ben started buying me cookbooks and one of the first was Leah Koenig’s, “The Jewish Cookbook.” It’s a veritable encyclopedia of Jewish recipes from diaspora communities around the world and I absolutely love it. This is where I found this distinctly Jewish Moussaka with a thoroughly decadent non-dairy bechamel and a spice blend that makes my mouth water just thinking about it. The recipe calls for ground beef or lamb, lamb is my favourite but whatever you choose to try this recipe with we’ll have it ground fresh daily at West End Butcher & Deli.

Here’s the recipe from “The Jewish Cookbook”

Recipe

Base

Extra virgin olive oil

4 small eggplants

2 medium yellow onions

1 lb ground beef or lamb

6 garlic cloves 

1 tbsp dried oregano

1 tsp ground cinnamon 

¼ tsp allspice 

1 28oz can crushed tomatoes 

Salt and pepper

“Bechamel”

6 tbsp nonhydrogenated margarine

½ cup all purpose flour

3 cups chicken stock 

1 tsp kosher salt

3 egg yolks

Freshly ground black pepper 

Instructions 

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Slice 3 eggplants into ½ inch rounds, brush with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and bake, flipping once, until softened and lightly browned. 

2. Finely chop onions and heat on medium in pan with olive oil, cook, stirring occasionally until translucent. Chop final eggplant into cubes and add to pan along with your ground meat. Cook until meat is browned and eggplant is softened. Add finely chopped garlic, oregano, cinnamon and allspice, cook until fragrant then stir in tomatoes, salt and pepper. Simmer until slightly thickened. Add more salt and pepper to taste. 

3. For “bechamel” melt the margarine in a saucepan over medium heat and add flour. Whisk until fully combined then whisk in the stock. Bring to a boil, whisking constantly until the sauce thickens. Whisk in the salt and pepper. 

4. In a separate bowl beat the egg yolks. Slowly drizzle a ¼ cup of the hot “bechamel” into the egg yolks while whisking constantly, turn down the heat and slowly whisk the egg mixture into the “bechamel.” Remove from heat. 

5. Grease the bottom of your baking dish. Layer ½ the eggplant rounds in the bottom of the dish, cover with half of the eggplant and meat sauce. Layer on the remaining eggplant slices and rest of the eggplant and meat sauce. Top with your “bechamel” sauce, smoothing with a rubber spatula. Bake at 350F until bubbling and golden brown, about 20-25 minutes. 

Enjoy! We can’t wait to serve you and we hope you’ll come eat with us.

Ben & Jesse