Moussaka

Cooks Illustrated Moussaka is my family's favorite eggplant dish.  Four pounds of eggplant is a lot of the smaller eggplant that grows in our garden, so I always halve the recipe.  We also use ground venison instead of lamb.  I imagine any ground meat would work well in this well spiced comfort food.  This recipe is also somewhat time consuming but it can be prepared several hours or days before needed and baked right before serving.

Moussaka (From Cook's Illustrated Cover & Bake cookbook).

EGGPLANT
4 lbs globe eggplant, peeled & cut into 1 inch cubes
Kosher salt
3 tbsp olive oil

FILLING
2 lbs ground lamb
2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion
Kosher salt
4 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tbsp tomato paste
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 tbsp chopped fresh oregano leaves
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 (28 oz) can tomato puree
1 tsp sugar
ground black pepper

BECHAMEL
3 tbsp unsalted butter
4 tbsp all purpose flour
2 cups whole milk
2 oz grated Parmesan (about 1 cup)
pinch ground nutmeg
salt & ground black pepper

FOR EGGPLANT Heat oven to 450. Toss the eggplant with 2 tbsp of kosher salt in a large colander set over a bowl and let stand 30 minutes. Working in batches, spread the eggplant between a double layer of paper towels and press firmly until mostly dry. Transfer to a large bowl and toss with 3 tbsp olive oil. Spread in an even layer on cookie sheets and bake until light golden brown, about 40-50 minutes.

FOR FILLING Cook the lamb in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until well browned, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the lamb to a paper towel lined plate. Pour out the fat from the pan and add 2 tbsp olive oil. Return to medium heat. Add the onion and 1 tsp salt; cook until the onion is softened and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cinnamon; stir for about 30 seconds. Stir in tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds. Add lamb, wine, oregano, 1 tbsp parsley, tomato puree, sugar, and 1/4 tsp pepper. Bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low, cover partially, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the juices have evaporated and the sauce has thickened, about 25-30 minutes.

FOR BECHAMEL Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the milk. Bring to a simmer and cook, whisking often, until the sauce thickens, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat and whisk in the parmesan and nutmeg. Season with salt & pepper.

ASSEMBLE & COOK Heat oven to 400. Spread the eggplant into an even layer across the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Spread lamb mixture evenly over the eggplant. Pour the bechamel evenly over the meat. Bake until browned & bubbly, about 20 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining parsley before serving.