Moussaka Recipe
Photo: Jody Horton
Where I come from, moussaka is what you make in late summer, when all the neighbors' gardens are prolific with eggplant, zucchini and tomatoes. I like to serve this homey dish hot, or at room temperature, and pile it on top of toasted country-style bread. The kefalotyri is a hard sheep's-milk cheese from Greece. It can be difficult to find, but Parmesan is a great substitute.
Serves 6-8
1 small eggplant, peeled and cut into slices a little less than 1/2-inch thick
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 Tbsp. olive oil, plus more, as needed
1 onion, chopped
One 6-inch zucchini, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 ripe tomato, peeled, quartered, seeded and chopped
1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 cup grated kefalotyri, or Parmesan, cheese
Toasted country-style bread slices for serving
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°.
Season the eggplant slices with salt and pepper.
Heat a 12-inch oven-safe skillet, or a 3-quart Dutch oven, over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. When the oil shimmers, add half of the eggplant slices and cook until limp and lightly browned on both sides, about 5 minutes. Transfer the eggplant to a plate, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the pan and cook the remaining eggplant in the same way.
Add the onion, zucchini and 1/4 teaspoon of salt to the hot skillet and sauté until the vegetables soften, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic, tomato, vinegar and cinnamon and cook until the tomato gives off its juices, about 4 minutes. Taste and season with more salt and pepper, if needed. Spread the vegetables evenly in the pan, arrange the eggplant slices on top and sprinkle with the kefalotyri.
Transfer the pan to the oven and bake until the top is crispy and the flavors have blended, about 15 minutes.
Arrange the bread on heated plates, spoon the moussaka over the bread and serve hot or at room temperature.
From One Pan, Two Plates: Vegetarian Suppers by Carla Snyder; photographs by Jody Horton (Chronicle Books, 2016).
Serves 6-8
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°.
Season the eggplant slices with salt and pepper.
Heat a 12-inch oven-safe skillet, or a 3-quart Dutch oven, over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. When the oil shimmers, add half of the eggplant slices and cook until limp and lightly browned on both sides, about 5 minutes. Transfer the eggplant to a plate, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the pan and cook the remaining eggplant in the same way.
Add the onion, zucchini and 1/4 teaspoon of salt to the hot skillet and sauté until the vegetables soften, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic, tomato, vinegar and cinnamon and cook until the tomato gives off its juices, about 4 minutes. Taste and season with more salt and pepper, if needed. Spread the vegetables evenly in the pan, arrange the eggplant slices on top and sprinkle with the kefalotyri.
Transfer the pan to the oven and bake until the top is crispy and the flavors have blended, about 15 minutes.
Arrange the bread on heated plates, spoon the moussaka over the bread and serve hot or at room temperature.
From One Pan, Two Plates: Vegetarian Suppers by Carla Snyder; photographs by Jody Horton (Chronicle Books, 2016).
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