Moussaka for the Ages

Moussaka — layers of potato, eggplant and tomatoey lamb sauce, blanketed with béchamel sauced and baked — is one of the great dishes of Greece. And when it’s carefully made, it’s one of the great dishes anywhere.

Traditionally, the eggplant is fried — and that is certainly wonderful. But we found that roasting slices of eggplant resulted in moussaka that’s even more delicious, as the eggplant melts into the other ingredients. It’s also a lot easier and less messy to manage. Best of all, because the roasted slices are so tender, you can fit them, puzzle-piece-like, into the pan so that you have a very even layer of eggplant, and no one gets bites without it.

As we wrote about in a December 2020 story about the dish and its origins, we were inspired by a recipe from the great Greek food writer Aglaia Kremezi, who added yogurt to the bechamel; we love how it lightens it up and adds a beautiful tang. (Thank you for the excellent innovation, Aglaia!)

To make this, you’ll need a 9 1/2 by 9 1/2-inch square baking pan that’s at least 2 1/2 inches deep. Nine 1/2 by 9 1/2 is the measurement on top, but the surface on the bottom is usually smaller. If you can, use one that’s at least 8 by 8 inches on the bottom. A slightly smaller one (7 1/2 by 7 1/2 inches on the bottom) will also work, but it will be very full. If so, you may want to place it on a rimmed baking sheet before putting it in the oven.

Makes 6 - 8 servings.

Ingredients

2 or 3 eggplants, about 2 pounds total

1 1/4 teaspoons salt, divided, plus additional to taste

Freshly ground black pepper