Here's my recipe, which comes from a group of Greek immigrants in America. This recipe yields 10 to 15 servings, so be sure to halve the recipe if you're not serving that many. Or you can freeze whatever you have left over.
Ingredients:
5 large aubergine about 1.5 lbs each
salt
10 tablespoons butter
3 lbs minced beef
1.5 cups chopped onion
2 tablespoons tomato puree
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/2 cup red wine
salt & pepper to taste
1/2 cup water
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 grated kefalotiri or parmesan cheese
1/2 cup bread crumbs
8 tablespoons all purpose flour
4 cups hot milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg
3 eggs, lightly beaten
vegetable oil for brushing aubergine
Method:
Remove 1/2-inch peels of aubergine lenghtwise throughout aubergine, so the aubergine ends up having a stripey appearance, with 1/2 inch of peel, next to a 1/2 inch of non-peel (if that makes sense. Wish I could draw a picture.) Cut aubergine lenghtwise into slices about 1/2-inch thick. Recommendation here is that you salt them and let them drain in a collander so they won't soak up too much oil when you put them under the grill. I DO NOT do this, having heard Nigella once sayin a different contextthat it really isn't necessary to salt and drain aubergines in her opinion.
Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a saucepan and sautee meat & onion until brown. Add tomato puree, parsley, wine, salt, pepper and water. Simmer until liquid has been absorbed. Let cool. Stir in cinnamon, 1/2 cup cheese and 1/2 of the breadcrumbs.
To Prepapre the (bechamel-like) sauce:
Melt 6 tablespoons butter in a saucepan over low heat. Add flour and stir until welll blended. Remove from heat, and gradually stir in milk. Return to heat and cook, stirring until sauce is thick & smooth. Add salt, pepper & nutmeg. Combine eggs with a little of th hot sauce, then stir egg mixture into sauce and cook over very low heat for 2 mins, stirring constantly.
Preheat grill.
Lightly brush aubergine slices with oil on both sides. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and grill until lightly browned. Set aside to cool.
Preheat oven to 350F/177C.
Sprinkle bottom of a 10x16 inch pan with remaining breadcrumbs. Place a layer of aubergine slices on the breadcrumbs then spread meat mixture over aubergine slices. Cover meat with remaining aubergine slices. Spoon sauce over aubergine; sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup grated cheese. Bake for 40 mins, or until golden. Cool for 10 mins before cutting. Serve warm.
Note: Moussaka can be prepared up to the cream sauce and finished the next day. This can also be baked, cooled, frozed & reheated.