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Moussaka – The Taste of Sifnos

With our “Discover Crete & Greek Island Odyssey Experience” coming up in September 2026 – including a visit to Sifnos, the island that gave the world moussaka and modern Greek cuisine – I had to share this timeless, labour-of-love dish with you.

 

Some dishes take time, but every moment is worth it! 
These labour of love creations are the soul of family kitchens — recipes where patience transforms humble ingredients into comforting masterpieces. 
Think of the layered richness of Moussaka, the cheesy perfection of Lasagna or the slow-baked goodness of Pasta al Forno. ,
Each one requires care and a little extra time, but when they emerge golden and bubbling from the oven, they bring people together in the most delicious way possible. These aren’t just meals — they’re traditions, celebrations, and pure comfort on a plate.
Slow to make, but rich with flavour and tradition, it’s the perfect recipe to warm hearts and homes on a chilly weekend.
Moussaka and the Father of Modern Greek Cuisine
No dish captures the soul of Greek comfort food quite like Moussaka — layers of tender eggplant, savoury minced meat, and creamy béchamel, baked to golden perfection. 
Although considered a traditional Greek dish, its history is relatively recent, as it is the creation of Nickolaos Tselementes, the famed chef from the island of Sifnos and “father” of modern Greek gastronomy.
Tselementes trained in classical French cooking in Austria and the US before returning to Greece in 1932, where he introduced elements such as bèchamel to what had been traditional Greek dishes and elevating Moussaka to the iconic dish we know today.

 

(Serves 8 to 10) 
Meat Ingredients
3 tbsp olive oil
2 medium onions (200g), chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1kg beef or lamb mince (not lean mince) (I go with 500g beef/500g lamb) 
2 bay leaves
1 cinnamon stick
200ml dry red wine
2 tsp salt
2 tsp pepper
2 tbsp (50g) tomato paste
400g tin whole peeled tomatoes, gently pureed (TM : 10 sec | SP4) or in a blender
1/2 cinnamon stick
3 cloves
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp dried oregano
Vegetable Ingredients
2 medium eggplants, about 500g each, slice lengthways into 1cm sliced
3 large zucchinis, slice lengthways into 1cm sliced (OPTIONAL)
Extra virgin olive oil, to brush onto eggplant and zucchini
4 potatoes (about 800g) peeled and sliced into 0.5cm (1/4 inch) slices
Sunflower oil, to fry potatoes
Béchamel Cheese Sauce Ingredients
1 litres whole milk
120g butter
120g plain flour
pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
3 egg yolks
120g parmigiano cheese, grated (TM – 10 sec | SP10)
Additional – 100g parmigiano or gruyère/comté cheese, shredded 
Baking Dish Size – 35 x 25 cm (9 x 13 inch))

Method & Assembly

Start preparing each of the three elements of the Moussaka (Meat Sauce / Vegetables / Bèchamel Sauce).  Any or all of the elements can be pre-prepared one day beforehand to save time in the final assembly of the dish.
Meat Sauce
  1. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large heavy based saucepan.
  2. Add 500g of mince and cook until browned and moisture has evaporated. Remove from pan and set aside.
  3. Heat another 1 tbsp oil to pan and cook second batch of mince until browned and moisture has evaporated. Remove from pan and set aside.
  4. Heat remaining 1 tbsp of oil in pan and sauté onion and garlic until golden.
  5. Stir in both browned mince and combine while heating through to high heat.
  6. Add red wine and cook until evaporated.
  7. Stir in tomato paste. 
  8. Add canned tomatoes and 100ml water, cinnamon stick, cloves, bay leaves, and oregano. Return to a simmer, then reduce heat to low, and cook, stirring often for 60-90 minutes, until sauce has reduced and thickened. Discard cinnamon stick halves, cloves, and bay leaves. Season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside. 
  9. Gently pour off any oil that might appear on the surface of the final cooked meat sauce.
Vegetables
  1. Preheat oven to 180C (Fan Forced).
  2. Eggplant – Place sliced eggplants on baking paper lined baking trays and brush each side with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
  3. Bake eggplant in oven for 30 minutes and just starting to soften. Turn eggplant slices over and continue to cook for another 20 minutes until golden and softened. Remove from oven and set aside.
  4. Zucchini – If using zucchini, place sliced zucchini on another baking paper lined baking tray and brush each side with olive oil and season with salt and pepper
  5. Bake zucchini for 15 minutes then turn slices over and continue to cook for another 15 minutes until golden and just softened. Remove from oven and set aside.
  6. Potatoes – Heat 2.5cm of oil in a deep pan. Fry sliced potatoes in batches until golden brown and softened. Drain on paper towel lined tray and set aside.
Béchamel Cheese Sauce
TM Method
  1. If you haven’t grated the 120g of cheese as yet, place cubes into bowl and chop 10sec | SP10. Set aside and wipe out bowl.
  2. Add butter to bowl and melt 3min | 100C | SP1.
  3. Add flour and cook 5min | 100C | SP1.
  4. Add milk, salt & pepper and cook 12 – 15 min | 90C | SP1 (or use Thickener Mode on TM6 or TM7) until thick and holds to the back of a spoon. 
  5. Add nutmeg and grated cheese and combine 30 sec | SP3.
  6. Transfer to a bowl and press a piece of plastic wrap onto surface to prevent a skin from forming.
  7. Let cool for 20 minutes before whisking in 3 egg yolks until combined. (You could add it back to TM bowl fitted with Butterfly to whisk – 20 sec | SP3 – before returning it back to a bowl.
  8. Set aside pressing a piece of plastic wrap onto surface again.
Conventional Method
  1. Place milk into a saucepan and heat gently.
  2. Place butter into another larger saucepan and heat until melted. Whisk in flour and continue to whisk to cook off flour and form a pale roux (flour/butter smooth paste).
  3. While whisking constantly, gradually add warm milk, about 60ml (1/4 cup) at a time until all the milk is used and sauce starts to thicken. 
  4. Continue to stir until mixture starts to bubble and the sauce is thick enough to holds to the back of a spoon.
  5. Remove from heat and stir in nutmeg and grated cheese. 
  6. Transfer to a large mixing bowl, pressing a piece of plastic wrap onto surface, and let cool for 20 minutes.
  7. Whisk in 3 egg yolks until combined. Set aside pressing a piece of plastic wrap onto surface again.
Assembly
  1. Preheat oven to 180C.
  2. Grease baking dish with extra virgin olive oil.
  3. Lay one layer of fried potatoes to cover base of baking dish.
  4. Top with baked eggplant in a single layer.
  5. Top with baked zucchini (if using) in a single layer.
  6. Gently mix 1/2 cup of the bèchamel sauce through meat sauce until combined.
  7. Spread meat sauce evenly over vegetables.
  8. Spread remaining bèchamel cheese sauce evenly over meat sauce.
  9. Sprinkle over shredded parmigiano cheese.
  10. Place onto a baking tray and bake in preheated oven for about 50 minutes until golden brown, bubbling and heated through to the middle.
  11. Remove from oven and let stand for at least 30 minutes, preferably 45 to 60 minutes, lightly covered in alfoil to keep warm. This will allow the moussaka to set for eash of cutting and serving.
NOTE : I think it is best to prepare the Moussaka the day beforehand (can be refrigerated up to 3 days) so it has time to set. To reheat – cover with alfoil and cook in 180C preheated oven for 20 minutes. Remove alfoil and continue to heat 10 minutes or until heated through. Internal temperature should be 90-100C.

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