Moussaka

I was a pretty adventurous eater as a kid.  I took squid sandwiches for lunch, enjoying the looks on the other kids' faces as the tentacles hung out of the sides of the bread.  I would eat just about any kind of animal (until the decade I was a vegetarian), and I liked things good and spicy.  I would not, however, tolerate eggplant in any form.  You could not bake an eggplant or fry it, and there was no point in trying to cover it in cheese.  It was just a waste of cheese.

My tastes have changed slightly since those days.  As much as I hate to admit it, eggplant hasn't just redeemed itself; it's actually one of my favorite foods.  Bake it until its insides are mushy and scoop right out, or char the heck of out some slices, and you have an excellent snack or base for a hearty meal.  But if you really want to give it the royal treatment, you need to make moussaka.

My wife may be a classicist, but she harbors no true love for Greece.  It's slow, it's polluted, and we have seen, it's pretty much broke.  However, she did bring back a taste for Greek dishes, and moussaka is one of the best.  Like lasagna, but more complex, with rich layers of meat and eggplant, potatoes and cheese.  It may take half an afternoon and your entire stock of pots and pans, but it's worth it.    

After all, just because I like eggplant doesn't mean there's any shame in smothering it in cheese every now and then.

Moussaka
Serves 6-8

I've made a vegetarian version with walnuts and mushroom instead of meat; it's really the spices, wine, and tomatoes that give it its flavor.  You could experiment with lentils or something else.  And of course, you could use beef or chicken instead of lamb if you must.

1 lb potatoes (you want a firm, starchy potato, like Idaho)
1 large eggplant
salt
2 T olive oil

For the meat:
2 T olive oil
1 red onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb ground lamb
2 T tomato paste
1/2 t ground cinnamon
1/8 t ground cloves
2 c diced tomatoes
1/4 c red wine
salt and pepper

For the bechamel:
1/4 c butter
1/4 c flour
2 c milk
2/3 c grated parmesan cheese
pinch nutmeg
salt

Peel and boil potatoes until tender.  Cool, and then slice into 1/4 inch slices.  Set aside.

While potatoes are boiling, preheat your boiler to high.  Slice eggplants into 1/2 inch rounds, place on a paper towel on a baking sheet, and sprinkle with plenty of salt.  To with another baking sheet, and weight down for 15 minutes.  Remove the paper towels, pat eggplant dry, and drizzle with olive oil.  Broil until slightly charred, about 5 minutes.  Flip and repeat.  Seat aside.

Heat the remaining olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the onion, and cook until soft.  Add the garlic, and cook another minute.  Add ground lamb, and cook until browned.  Stir in the tomato paste, and cook another minute, and then add the cinnamon, cloves, diced tomatoes, and wine.  Bring to a simmer, and keep simmering over low heat for 30 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Meanwhile, make the bechamel sauce by melting the butter over medium heat in a saucepan.  Stir in flour, and cook for a minute, stirring constantly.  Whisk in 1/4 cup of the milk until fully incorporated, and gradually whisk in the remaining milk.  Stir until thickened.  Add the cheese, and season with nutmeg and salt.

In a large baking dish, cover the bottom with eggplant slices.  Spread the lamb mixture over the eggplant, and add more eggplant on top if you have any left (I didn't).  Follow this layer with the potato slices, and cover the whole thing with the bechamel sauce.  Bake for an hour, until bubbly and browned.