Ingredients: |
Ingredients: 3 medium eggplants (about 7 inches long), peeled or not, depending on your preference and the conditions of the eggplants
Mushroom Tomato Sauce
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cups chopped onion
1¼ tsp salt
1½ to 2 lbs mushrooms, coarsely chopped
5 medium cloves garlic, sliced or minced
1 14½-oz can tomatoes, including all the liquid
1 6-oz can tomato paste
1 tsp cinnamon
lots of black pepper
1 tsp each: oregano and basil
1 cup packed freshly minced parsley
½ cup fine bread crumbs, plus extra for the top
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
Béchamel Sauce
3 tbsp butter
6 tbsp flour
2½ cups hot milk (low fat works fine!)
½ cup grated parmesan cheese, plus extra for the top
nutmeg
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Directions: |
Directions:1. Slice the eggplants into quarter-inch-thick rounds. Salt the slices lightly on both sides, then layer them gently in a colander, and place over a sink or bowl. Let stand for 20 to 30 minutes. This will allow them to sweat out their bitter juices. (Meanwhile, you can work on the mushroom sauce.)
2. Lightly oil a baking sheet, and preheat oven to 375ºF. Retrieve the eggplant slices from their spa, and pat them dry with a clean towel. Spread the slices on the tray (it's ok if they pile up a little) and bake until tender (20 to 25 minutes). Meanwhile, prepare the Béchamel sauce.
Mushroom Tomato Sauce:
1. Heat the olive oil in a large, deep skillet or a Dutch oven. Add onions and salt, and cook over medium heat, stirring, for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the onions become translucent. Add mushrooms and garlic, stir, and cover. Cook over medium heat another 8 to 10 minutes.
2. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, cinnamon, pepper, oregano, and basil. (Use a spoon or a dinner knife to break the tomatoes into bite-sized pieces.) Bring to a boil, then lower heat, and simmer, uncovered, another 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in parsley, bread crumbs, and parmesan. Set aside.
Béchamel Sauce:
1. In a medium-sized saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Whisk in 4 tbsp of the flour, keeping up a steady motion with the whisk even after the flour is added. Cook for several minutes, whisking still.
2. Slowly pour in the hot milk, whisking even yet. Cook and stir over low heat another 5 to 8 minutes, or until the sauce is very smooth and thickened slightly. Sift in the remaining 2 tbsp of flour, whisking yet some more, to prevent lumps. After another 5 to 8 minutes of cooking with occasional stirring, add the parmesan and a few shakes of nutmeg. Remove from heat. The sauce should be smooth and quite thick.
Assembly:
Preheat oven to 375ºF. Oil a very large casserole or a deep oblong baking pan with dimensions of at least 9 x 13 inches. Place a double layer of eggplant on the bottom, and add the entire batch of mushroom sauce. lay the remaining eggplant slices over the mushroom sauce, and spread the Béchamel over the top. Dust lightly with fine bread crumbs and a small handful or two of parmesan. bake uncovered for 35 to 40 minutes, or until bubbly on the bottom and ever so lightly browned on top. Serve hot. |
This recipe for Mushroom Moussaka is from