This Perfect Greek-Style Lamb Shepherd’s Pie started when a friend quoting a line from the movie “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” walked into me and handed me a pound of ground lamb.
But what to do with ground lamb? The obvious would be to make a Greek hamburger with Feta cheese and a yogurt sauce. Not tonight. I decided to make Moussaka but not just any Moussaka. For once, the recipe is my own version.
The Moussaka came out of the oven, and a large beautiful square was placed on my plate. It looked just like Shepherd’s Pie that I was familiar with, so when I took that first bite, I expected a beef stew flavor with a cheesy potato top. So, here is the recipe for The Perfect Greek-Style Lamb Shepherd’s Pie.
The Perfect Greek-Style Lamb Shepherd's Pie
Print RecipeIngredients
- 3 eggplants
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 pound lean ground lamb
- salt to taste
- 1 pound mushrooms sliced
- 2 onions, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 tablespoons dried Italian seasoning 1 (8 ounces) can tomato sauce
- 1/2 cup wine (whatever you decide to open)
- 2 cups milk
- 1/2 cup butter
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 8-ounce freshly grated Parmesan
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 pounds potatoes, boiled
Instructions
1. Wash and peel the eggplants. Then, cut the eggplants lengthwise into 1/2 inch thick slices. Lay on some paper towels and place the slices of eggplant on top. Then, sprinkle lightly with salt, and set aside for 30 minutes to draw out the moisture. Rinse off salt and ring out water similar to a sponge.
2. Put the olive oil in a skillet over high heat. Quickly fry the eggplant until browned. Set aside eggplants on paper towels to drain. Chop and set aside.
3. Using the same skillet over medium heat, melt the butter and add the ground lamb, salt and pepper to taste onions, mushrooms and garlic. After the lamb is browned, sprinkle in the cinnamon, nutmeg, and Italian seasoning. Next, pour in the tomato sauce and wine, and mix well. Simmer for 20 minutes. Allow to cool.
4. To make the faux béchamel sauce, begin by scalding the milk in a saucepan. Place your hot boiled potatoes in a pot. Add the butter. Mash the butter and potatoes together. A potato ricer would work well here, but I did not have one. Add the milk to the potatoes to make a fairly loose but slightly chunky potato puree. Season with salt and white pepper.
5. Greased 9×13-inch baking dish with olive oil. Combine chopped eggplant into the meat mixture, and pour into the bottom of the pan. Then add the 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese over the meat. Pour the potato sauce over the top, and sprinkle another ½ cup of Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle with nutmeg.
6. Put inside the oven and bake for 1 hour at 350°F (175°C). Serve and enjoy!
