Moussaka

Ingredients:

Eggplants

• 2 large eggplants (about 1.1 kg), unpeeled, cut lengthwise into 1 cm thick slices.
• 0.5 cups extra-virgin olive oil

Meat sauce

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Half a medium yellow onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 450 g of ground beef
• 0.5 tsp dried oregano
• 1/8 tsp ground allspice
• A pinch of ground cloves
• 1 cinnamon stick, broken in half
• 0.5 tsp coarse salt + more to taste
• 1.5 cups whole peeled canned tomatoes in tomato puree, coarsely chopped
• 1 bay leaf

Creamy sauce

• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 6 tablespoons flour
• 3 cups whole milk at room temperature
• 1.5 tsp coarse salt
• A pinch of ground nutmeg
• 1 large egg
• 2 large egg yolks
• 0.5 cups breadcrumbs
• 3 tablespoons Pecorino Romano cheese

Preparation:

1. Bake the eggplants:
   
   Preheat oven to 450°F (245°C). Brush both sides of the eggplant slices with olive oil and place them on 2 small or 1 large foil-lined baking sheets. Season with salt and pepper. Cover with foil and bake until the eggplant is tender, about 25 minutes. Set aside, covered.
2. Prepare the meat sauce:
   
   Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the ground beef, oregano, allspice, cloves, and cinnamon. Break the ground beef into small pieces and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 2 minutes.
3. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat is almost cooked through but still slightly pink, about 1 minute more. Add the tomatoes and bay leaf and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer until the sauce thickens and becomes fragrant, about 20 minutes.
4. Prepare a creamy sauce:
   
   In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the flour and stir until smooth. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Remove the saucepan from the heat and add the milk, salt, and nutmeg. Return to the heat and, whisking constantly, bring to a boil. Simmer for 2 minutes. Pour the sauce into a bowl and stir to cool. Once cool, whisk in the egg and yolks.
5. Assemble the moussaka:
   
   Reduce oven temperature to 175°C. Grease a 22x32x5 cm pan with butter. Sprinkle the bottom breadcrumbsPlace half of the eggplants in the pan, overlapping them if necessary. Cover with half of the meat sauce and spread with a silicone spatula.
6. Repeat the eggplant and meat sauce layers. Pour the creamy sauce over the moussaka and spread it with a rubber spatula. Sprinkle with Pecorino Romano cheese and bake, uncovered, until the moussaka is lightly browned and the creamy sauce has set, about 1 hour.
7. Remove the moussaka from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes. Serve with a slotted spoon or spatula.