Mushroom and Lamb Moussaka

Lamb and Mushroom Moussaka6 small or 3 medium eggplants
1 Lb ground lamb
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Lb mushrooms chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 26 oz can of chopped tomatoes
1 cup red wine
2 Tbs Olive Oil
1-2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cloves
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1 Bay Leaf
1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
4 Tbs Butter
4 Tbs Flour
2 Cups milk
1/2 cup parmesan cheese

Slice the Eggplant into 1/4 inch slices.  Place the eggplant in a colander and season each layer of slices generously with salt.  Place the colander in a sink and allow the eggplant to drain for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Rinse the salt off of the eggplant and blot dry. Brush 2-3 baking trays with olive oil.  Place the eggplant onto baking trays and place into the oven.  Bake for 10 minutes, flip the slices, and then bake for an additional ten minutes.  Remove from oven and reserve.

Heat a large dutch oven over medium heat.  Add the lamb and cook until the lamb begins to release its juices.  Add garlic and onion, and cook for about five minutes until the onions begin to get translucent.  Add the mushrooms and cook for another five minutes.  Add the cinnamon, cloves, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, and nutmeg and cook for about 30 seconds until you can smell the spices.  Pour the wine into the pan and stir well, scraping the bottom of the pan.  Add the tomatoes, bay leaf, and thyme.  Bring to a simmer, but do not let the sauce boil (you may need to reduce the heat).  Simmer uncovered for 45 minutes, until the sauce is thick and flavorful.  Remove the bay leaf.  Taste and add salt and pepper if necessary.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Place a layer of eggplant into a casserole dish, followed by all of the lamb and mushroom sauce, followed by the rest of the eggplant.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat.  Add the flour and stir constantly until the butter/flour mixture changes color and turns the shade of caramel.  Slowly add the milk and whisk until smooth.  Cook until the mixture has the consistency of mayonnaise.  stir in the nutmeg (if desired) and parmesan cheese.  Pour Bechemel sauce over the eggplant.

Place the Moussaka in the hot oven and bake for about 45 minutes until the bechemel sauce begins to turn brown.  Remove from oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes before slicing.

Recipe Notes: Salted the eggplant is supposed to remove some of the bitterness.  I don't know if this is true; maybe I will experiment next time and skip this step.  Make sure you thoroughly rinse the eggplant.  I forgot to once and the resulting dish was way too salty.  I don't peel the eggplant--the skin has lots of nutrients and tastes delicious. I use a mixture of mushrooms from the farm market, but the sauce is so flavorful on its own that regular white mushrooms or crimini mushrooms will work fine.  The Moussaka freezes beautifully and can be reheated in the oven or the microwave.  For more thoughts on moussaka, see the blog post "Luck."

Vegetarian Option: Omit the lamb and use two pounds instead of one pound of mushrooms.  Add 2 Tbs of Olive Oil to the Dutch Oven before you add the garlic and onions.