Cyprus Recipe  - Recipe Moussaka

 Moussaka is one of the traditional Greek dishes that combines the classic ingredients - lamb, olive oil, eggplant and bread.

3 eggplants
1/2 cup olive oil
3 onions
2 lb ground lamb
3 Tbsp tomato paste
1/2 cup red wine
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground pepper
1/4 lb butter
6 Tbsp flour
1 qt milk
4 eggs
1/8 tsp grated nutmeg
2 cup ricotta cheese
1 cup bread crumbs
1 cup parmesan cheese

Peel the skin from the eggplants and slice into circles about 1/2" thick. Brown them in the oil and remove. Now dice the onions and brown in the oil. Add in the lamb and cook about 10 minutes. Remove the fat.

Mix the tomato paste, wine, parsley, cinnamon, salt and pepper until a paste is formed. Add to the meat.

Separately blend butter and flour, heat milk separately and blend with butter-flour. Add in the eggs, nutmeg, and Ricotta cheese.

Mix crumbs and Parmesan in another bowl.

Grease a cakepan and add a layer of breadcrumbs on the bottom. Put layers of eggplant, meat and Parmesan/bread until done. Put Ricotta sauce as the last layer. Bake for 1 hour at 375F.

Cool 30 minutes before serving.