I have to tell you, Saverina, this food is amazing. I never had moussaka before.
SIMONE, THE MARVELOuS MRS. MAISEL, SEASON TWO EPISODE ONE
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel has got to be one of the hottest shows right now and it’s not a surprise with the amazing performances by Rachel Brosnahan and Alex Borstein. I have to admit that when I first saw the preview for the show, I was very hesitant on whether I would enjoy the show or not. Boy, was I wrong. This show is amazing and truly a breath of fresh air.
I have a few recipes lined up for this show but I wanted to start off with this amazing moussaka we saw in the first episode of the second season. This recipe may seem tedious but it really isn’t. What’s even better about this dish is that it gets better the next day (if it lasts that long). I hope you enjoy the recipe and let me know if you’ve seen the show or not! If not, please do yourself a favor and turn it on right now!
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel: Moussaka
Ingredients
- 1 large eggplant sliced into 1/2" thick rounds
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion small dice
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 pound ground lamb
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 2 tsp dried mint
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cans crushed tomatoes 28 oz
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup red wine
- 2 large russet potatoes cleaned and peeled
Bechamel
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 3 oz all purpose flour
- 2 1/2 cups whole milk
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 oz grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450F. Toss the sliced eggplant in one tbsp olive oil. Lay the eggplant on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes or until brown. Set aside.
- Place a medium pot over medium heat. Add 2 tbsp of oil and once hot, add the onions and cook for 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the ground lamb. Break the meat up with a spoon and cook until brown. If you see a lot of rendered fat, remove some of the fat before proceeding.
- Add the mint, oregano, cinnamon stick, bay leaf, and 2 tsp of salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper. Cook for another 3 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook for 5 minutes. Add red wine and scrape off any of the bits that have formed on the bottom of the pan.
- Add the canned tomatoes and bring it to a boil over high heat. Once it comes to a boil, bring the heat down to medium and let it simmer for 30 minutes. Remove the cinnamon stick and bay leaf. Taste for salt and pepper.
- Meanwhile, place two large russet potatoes in a pot of cold water. Bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes are easily pierced through with a knife. Drain and set aside to cool. Once it's cool enough to handle, slice the potatoes into 1/4" thick rounds.
Bechamel
- To make the béchamel, heat the butter over medium heat in a saucepan. Once melted, add the flour and stir to combine. Whisk constantly for one minute. Whisk in the milk and Let it come to a simmer. Keep whisking to prevent the bottom from burning. Once it thickens, remove it from the heat Season with 1/2 tsp salt and stir in half of the cheese.
- Once it has cooled down a bit, stir in the egg yolks. Mix to combine.
- In a 9x13 pan, add the lamb and spread the mixture into an even layer. Layer on the eggplant and then the potatoes. Top it off with the béchamel and spread into an even layer. Top with the rest of the cheese and bake for about 30 minutes until the top is golden brown and bubbling. Let it cool a bit before serving.
