Mousakas (Moussaka) or, as I think of it, "Happiness on a Plate"

9x13 pan.  Oven 350.

I'm fairly sure that there's no comfort food more, well, comforting, than moussaka.  I've had many variations, but after many tries, this is the simplest version I've managed to create both prep-wise and ingredient wise; its simple, fulsome flavor transports you to a tiled patio above the cerulean Agean, seated next to potted lemon trees and in the company of good friends. The best part of this recipe is that my oldest daughter, Julia, requested it, and it gives me great pleasure to "talk food" with her as she is becoming an excellent and daring cook in her own right!

Slicing the eggplant and potatoes and frying them is the most tedious part of this recipe prep.  I recommend enjoying a sip of the wine while enduring that part of the process. ;)






INGREDIENTS:
1 large eggplant                                                    
1 lb potatoes
olive oil
1 large onion (purple)
1 lb ground lamb or beef
3 roma tomatoes (diced)
1 cup white wine
 1/2 tsp. advieh (See cook's notes below for sub.)
1 bunch parsley
salt and pepper to taste

For the bechamel sauce:
4 tbsp butter
1/2 cup flour
3 cups milk
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 egg yolk
advieh to taste
salt and pepper to taste
1/4  lemon, squeezed

(if you wish, but I don't recommend: 1/2 tsp sugar for bechamel and 2 Tbsp gruyere).

Chop onion fine and saute  in olive oil and salt and then brown up the meat, drain, and add the advieh, salt and pepper and toss, setting aside.

Waiting for the eggplant to draw...

Wash the eggplant, remove the stalk, cut eggplant in half and then lengthways in thin (1/8 inch) slices.  Place the slices in a bowl of salted water and leave to draw while you slice up the potatoes.  I use a good pinch of salt here- I think it's important to the final product.

Peel and cut potatoes into similar slices.  Cut up 1/2 of the parsley bunch and toss with potatoes.  
Fry up the eggplant- you will need a lot of olive oil for this.
Be patient and watch that both sides end up a little brown.
This ensures that the eggplant has some firm texture in the final product.


Fry up the potatoes in olive oil with a little salt.

Layer potatoes in 9x13 pan, follow with meat layer (half the meat), and then create an eggplant layer.




Cover the eggplant layer with a second layer of meat.



Then fry up the diced tomatoes (better if peeled - see cook's notes below) and the parsley, layering the tomatoes on top of the dish.

Now it's time for the bechamel:
Melt the butter in the same fry pan you've been using and slowly add the flour, stirring constantly with a fork.  Slowly add the milk, stirring and when the mixture thickens, remove, stir in the wine, egg yolk, sugar if desired (just don't), lemon, salt, pepper and more advieh to taste. Spread carefully over layers in pan, add sprinkle 2 Tbsp gruyere or mozarella to the top (if you wish but not necessary) and bake for 50-60 minutes.

 Cool a little before cutting.  Enjoy!

Cook's Notes! 

• A note on advieh:  advieh is a persian blend that I purchase at the Common Ground Fair Common Ground Fair. Advieh commonly contains a mixture of: cinnamon, cardamom, coriander, nutmeg, tumeric, saffron and cloves.  You could easily mix a perfectly satisfactory blend of these more common cupboard ingredients:  cinnamon, nutmeg, tumeric and cloves.
• Some people add panko or breadcrumbs to the top, too.  I don't like that texture on top, but to each their own! 
• I don't love cooked tomatoes.  In fact, I kind of hate them.  I know moussaka requires them, and usually the matching pound to the potatoes, but, unless you adore cooked tomato, two or three Romas should be plenty!
• The wine is utterly optional, and I think it's why there's a call for the sugar. 
• Although many recipes call for it, I never add the sugar to the bechamel sauce.  I don't think it needs it, but if you do, add no more than a 1/2 tsp. Even that much drastically changes the flavor.