Pumpkin Moussaka

Ingredients for 8 servings:

• 1 kg minced meat (ground meat), mixed or beef
• 3 medium-sized onions, red, finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 600 g tomatoes, pureed (can)
• 2 chili peppers
• 1 tsp cinnamon powder
• 1 tsp clove powder
• ½ tsp nutmeg, grated
• 4 tbsp mint, green, chopped or dried
• 3 bay leaves
• 4 tbsp olive oil or clarified butter
• 3 tbsp, leveled sea salt, coarse
• 2 tsp, heaped black pepper, crushed or ground
• ¼ liter red wine
• 1.2 kg pumpkin flesh (e.g. Butternut, Mesa Queen, Bishop’s Cap, etc.)
• 300 g potatoes, peeled
• salt and pepper
• nutmeg
• Butter for the mold
• 180 g butter
• 180 g flour, universal or smooth
• 1 liter of milk
• 3 m.-sized eggs
• 200 g grated cheese (not too strong in flavor)
• Sea salt and pepper, white
• nutmeg
• 50 g breadcrumbs

Instructions

Working time approx. 45 minutes; Total time approx. 45 minutes

Therapía Moussakás, with béchamel sauce, Austria/Greece

Heat oil or clarified butter in a frying pan, sauté the onions until translucent, then add the minced meat and brown for about 20-30 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the chili peppers occasionally, mashing the meat with a fork to break it up into fine crumbs. Then add the garlic (it may become bitter if fried) and all the spices. Stir briefly again, then deglaze with the red wine. Pour the pureed tomatoes over the sauce and simmer, covered, for at least 2.5 to 3 hours on the lowest heat setting. If necessary, add a little (4 cl) of warm water every 30-60 minutes and stir thoroughly. The sauce shouldn’t become too thin, however. Tip: It’s recommended to prepare this sauce the day before and reheat it the next day (like goulash, which improves each time it’s reheated). Cook the potatoes, cut into 1/2 cm thick slices, on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil in an oven preheated to 120°C (top/bottom heat) for about 10 minutes, then remove. Place the pumpkin, cut into 1 cm thick slices, in the hot oven for 5 minutes. Remove everything from the baking sheet and let cool slightly. Layer the bottom of the buttered casserole dish with the potatoes, season with salt, and a little pepper. Remove the bay leaves and spread about 1/4 of the sauce over the potatoes, then alternate with the pumpkin slices and the sauce, sprinkling a little salt, pepper, and nutmeg over each layer of pumpkin. Spread the béchamel sauce evenly over the last layer (which should be minced meat). For the béchamel sauce, lightly beat the eggs. Melt the butter in a saucepan, sauté the flour, and top up with the cold milk, stirring rapidly constantly. Stir until the sauce thickens slightly and there are no more lumps (just before boiling). Remove the pot from the heat, season the contents and let it cool slightly. Stir in the lightly beaten eggs and half of the grated cheese. Pour this mixture over the moussaka and smooth it down. Mix the remaining cheese with the breadcrumbs and sprinkle on top. This creates a crispy crust. Now place in the oven preheated to 180°C to 190°C (top/bottom heat) and bake for about 60 minutes, using the top heat for the last 10 to 15 minutes to gratinate the surface. The moussaka is ready when the surface is a nice golden brown. Remove from the oven and let it cool off for about 10 to 15 minutes. Meanwhile, cut the portions into the dish; they will be easier to lift out. Tip: If you prepare this dish without béchamel sauce, you save 450 calories per serving, but it’s no longer moussaka. The béchamel sauce can also be used for other dishes without the cheese and breadcrumbs.