Moussaka

Moussaka is Greece's defining baked dish — layers of sliced, salted, and fried eggplant, spiced minced lamb with tomato, and a thick béchamel topping, baked until the béchamel is golden and the layers are set. Each component must be properly prepared: the eggplant dry (not oil-saturated), the meat sauce reduced and complex, the béchamel thick enough to hold its shape when sliced. It is not a quick dish.

Greece, with antecedents in the Arab world. The name derives from the Arabic musakka'a. The layered eggplant and meat preparation exists throughout the Middle East; the Greek version with béchamel was codified by Nikolaos Tselementes, the influential early 20th-century Greek chef who introduced French culinary techniques to Greek cooking.

Agiorgitiko or Xinomavro — the two great indigenous Greek red wine varieties. Agiorgitiko (from Nemea, Peloponnese) with its soft tannins and plum character matches the rich lamb and béchamel. Or a glass of cold Greek lager (Mythos).

Eggplant: sliced 1cm thick, salted for 30 minutes, rinsed, dried, brushed with olive oil, and roasted at 200C until golden — not fried in oil. Frying produces oil-saturated eggplant; roasting produces tender, dry slices that absorb the meat sauce without becoming waterlogged The meat sauce (kima): minced lamb browned in olive oil with onion and garlic, then red wine, tomato, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, and a bay leaf. Reduced until thick and almost dry — any residual liquid will make the moussaka watery Béchamel: classic French béchamel (butter, flour, milk) thickened to a consistency that holds peaks — thick enough to hold its shape when spread. Egg yolks added off heat for richness The layer sequence: eggplant, meat sauce, eggplant, béchamel — not more than two layers of eggplant Bake at 180C for 45-50 minutes until the béchamel is golden and a knife inserted in the centre meets only slight resistance Rest for 20 minutes before slicing: the layers need to set, otherwise they slide apart when portioned