Moussaka a la Grecque

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I'm writing this review to correct a crucial error - the red wine ingredient should read 1/2 cup and NOT 1 1/2 cup as written here. I wish I had pulled out my old copy of NY Times Cook Book instead of trusting this one for my New Year's Eve party! With all the excess liquid, and the direction to cook til evaporated, the lamb became completely dried out. Also eggs should be beaten til frothy. As another reviewer mentioned, preheat to 375 degrees.
Aside from the mistakes, this is a great recipe and comes out great.

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I got the NYT cookbook from the Book of the Month Club in 1974 and made this recipe a few times in the seventies. I saw this version (and like using the olive oil instead of all the butter that's in the original. Here are some great additions: Mince 6-8 garlic cloves and add to the onions a minute before adding the lamb. For seasonings, use 1/2 teaspoon cinammon, 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves, and 1 tablespoon dried oregano and add to the wine, tomato paste, parsley mis. All of this provides a great zip and makes it much more interesting. Also, use at least 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg in the Bechamel. Finally, the original recipe calls for a 375 degree oven, which works great.

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I have made Moussaka many times and have my own 'go-to' recipe, but I am visiting friends and did not bring my cookbook. I spent 2 HRS looking for a comparable recipe to my fave and this was the closest. My friends said this was the best Moussaka they have ever had. Hmm. I thought it had excellent flavour, but I flound the texture a little bit mushy. This could be from reheating it since I made it one day in advance, but it could also be the custard sauce? Anyway, three of my friends, who are 'foodies' agreed that it was superb, so it gets five stars. That said, I do not think there is a better recipe for traditional Moussaka on the internet (at least not using american measurements!. I don't think you can lose with this one.

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This is the original moussaka recipe from Craig Claiborne's New York Times Cook Book, published in 1967, and there isn't another one as good as this one. Of course the butter has been substituted for olive oil... and there is no reason to cook the eggplants on the stove top. Just sprinkle some oil on them and roast them in the oven. If you can't find lamb, use beef, or use ground turkey if you are health conscious. Season it the way you like it- these days we tend to prefer more complex seasonings than those of fourty years ago. What makes this a superb moussaka is the white sauce, which is the most delicious white sauce for moussaka ever created. I've been making this recipe for about twenty years. I would not trade it! By the way, it can be prepared in advance and served lukewarm. It even tastes better the next day.

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good job I road tested this recipe before offering it to guests tomorrow night ... you need at LEAST double the quantities of eggplant and lamb mixture to the "custard" (not a fan of bland custard. I have tested a lot of recipes from Epicurious and Food Network and this one disappointment me the most. someone needs to go back into the kitchen and redo this mess.

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The lamb mixture needs a lot of salt and pepper then it comes out perfect.

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Takes about an hour, but turns out great!

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Perfect. Great texture and flavor. Whatever you do.. do NOT substitute the ground lamb for something else. Seek it out! It is just not moussaka without it.

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Wonderful recipe