Moussaka

Preparing the ingredients:

1. 1Chop the red onions and garlic.
2. 2Cut the eggplants into slices 1.5 cm thick.
3. 3Cut the potatoes into slices 1 cm thick.

Cooking the vegetables:

1. 4Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2. 5Place the eggplant and potato slices on a baking sheet and season both sides with salt and a drizzle of olive oil.
3. 6Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes.
4. 7After 15 minutes, flip the eggplant and potatoes.
5. 8Drizzle with a little more olive oil and bake for another 15 minutes.
6. 9Place the eggplant and potatoes on a rack to let them cool completely.

Preparing the stew:

1. 10In a saucepan, add olive oil and sweat the onions with a little salt.
2. 11Add the garlic once the onions are translucent and cook for 1 to 2 minutes.
3. 12Add the ground meat and mix.
4. 13Season with a little salt and let cook until the meat changes color.
5. 14Add the bay leaves, dried thyme, cinnamon stick, and red wine.
6. 15Let the red wine reduce.
7. 16Once the liquid has almost disappeared, add the tomato purée and tomato paste.
8. 17Simmer covered for 30 minutes until you get a thick sauce.

Preparing the béchamel:

1. 18Grate the parmesan.
2. 19In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.
3. 20Add the flour and cook for a few minutes.
4. 21Add the milk and cook for a few minutes.
5. 22Add two-thirds of the cheese.
6. 23Add the nutmeg and salt if needed.

Assembling the moussaka:

1. 24In a dish, place a layer of potatoes, then a layer of eggplant on top.
2. 25Add the meat stew.
3. 26Cover with béchamel and sprinkle the top with parmesan.
4. 27Bake in an oven at 180°C for 40 minutes.
5. 28Let cool at room temperature for about 20 minutes and serve.