In former times I used to make moussaka at least once a year for special occasions, like my late husband’s birthday. I hadn’t made it at all in the last ten years or so, until last week when I decided to bake up a double batch for an event. I buy a half a lamb every year from a local farmer, and usually have ground lamb in my freezer as a result. So I kept with my tradition and made the moussaka with lamb, though beef also works.
Does any of you my readers make this dish? My version is a small-print clipping from an unnamed magazine, glued into my oldest, messiest personal collection of recipes; tiny notes in the spattered margins tell of adjustments I have made based on other cooks’ ways. This time another unique result was the product of my efforts. Eggplants are not symmetrical and vary in size and weight; my packages of meat were whatever amount came from my particular lamb; I used a combination of whole milk and evaporated milk to make the custard sauce that goes on top; and I forgot to include the breadcrumbs. I ended up with one 9×12 pan and one 8×8 pan, and leftovers of the meat mixture and the sauce to pour over.
As is too often the case, I was in a hurry in the end to get the dish to the event, and forgot to take a picture when it came out of the oven. In looking through my files to see if I had by any chance had an old moussaka-from-the-oven pic, I found a whole series of shots of preparing it, ten years ago, also lacking the triumphant final pose. So here is an example from the internet, which looks like it has cheese on top instead of the custard, and the eggplants I used were larger, my slices wider — but it looks somewhat similar.
Maybe I will get in the habit of making this dish again, and refine my recipe so that I don’t end up with leftovers. If that happens, I’ll share it with you. In the meantime, I know you can find many moussaka recipes online to work with if you like? I am still wondering, Do you like?
Gladsome Lights 
I like moussaka, and other Greek dishes, but I can’t imagine making it. When I’m hungry for moussaka, pastitsio, or a wonderful custard dessert called Galaktoboureko, I head a couple of miles down the street to a family run Greek café. The whole family cooks, wonderfully well.
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I also have eaten it in restaurants many times. There is a Mediterranean restaurant not far from me where such things can be found.
And every time I make moussaka, I think of pastitsio, which I also used to make. Yum!
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I sometimes make a ‘moussaka’ with brinjals and lentils instead of meat – I am not fond of the latter 🙂
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I love moussaka. My favourite recipe is from Karen Barnaby’s Low Carb Gourmet. I had the pleasure to eat in her fish restaurant in Stanley Park, Vancouver one time. A Greek family opened a cafe near me in Auchinleck for about 18 months. Sadly their moussaka was nothing like as good as Karen’s. There is also a Tesco’s Greek Moussaka, but it still isn’t as good as Karen’s. Their giant beans, however are great. Unless you are very lucky and can find a good commercial moussaka, you still have to go to all the palaver to make it yourself. It is as easy to make a huge batch as a small one, so it is one of these dishes that is great for pleasing a crowd.
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I prefer moussaka to pastitsio, although most people are the reverse. I, too, haven’t made it in a while, but your post is inspiring me to make it soon! I have used the recipe in “The Taste of Cyprus” by Gilli Davis, but would like to try Vefa’s from “Greece: the Cookbook.”
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Thank you for noting these particular recipes. They might help me when I am trying to perfect mine!
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I’m trying to think if I’ve ever even had moussaka. I’ve certainly not made it. Eggplant has never been a favorite but you make this look so darned good!
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Have you had pastitsio? It has some of the same flavors without the eggplant, so you might prefer it 🙂
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This post made my mouth water! Even in the days when we raised lamb and had plenty of good lamb to eat I never made this dish. But I have had it in a restaurant, years ago, and I do remember liking it very much. I did not realize it had a custard sauce poured over the top.
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Not all versions have the custard sauce, and of the ones that do, some have more sauce than others. The one I like is a custard in that it has eggs, but I think I have seen some that have a simple cream sauce.
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I’ll have to try this. I love eggplants and buy it every other week but I usually stir fry mine.
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