Moussaka With Artichokes, Tomatoes, and Potatoes

A delicious-sounding Greek recipe for the slow cooker from my Gourmet Vegetarian Slow Cooker book. This dish is topped with a thick custard using gruyere cheese and a hint of nutmeg. YUM!

• Ready In: 5 hrs 30 mins
• Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

• 1  russet potato, peeled and sliced
• 1  eggplant, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch thick crosswise slices
• 1  cinnamon stick
• 5  whole cloves
• 6  black peppercorns
• 2  allspice berries
• 1⁄4 cup olive oil (or less to taste)
• 1  large yellow onion, chopped
• 4  large garlic cloves, minced
• 1⁄4 cup dry red wine
• 3  large tomatoes, coarsely chopped
• 1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, well-drained and halved
•  salt

• Custard Topping

• 4  cups milk
• 1⁄4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1  cup gruyere cheese, shredded
• 2  egg yolks
•  fresh grated nutmeg

Directions

1. Layer the potatoes in the bottom of the slow cooker insert. Then layer all the eggplant slices on top.
2. Grind the cinnamon, cloves, peppercorns and allspice to a powder in an electric spice mill or mortar and pestle.
3. In a large saute pan, heat the oil and cook the onion until it begins to brown, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic, spices, wine, tomatoes, and artichokes and continue to simmer until the pan is nearly dry. Add salt to taste.
4. Pour the tomato-artichoke sauce carefully over the eggplant and potatoes (this dish can be assembled to this point a day ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator overnight). Cover and cook on low for about 4 hours, or until a skewer inserted into the stew easily penetrates all the layers.
5. While the vegetables are cooking, make the custard topping. Combine the milk and flour in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour the mixture into a saucepan and cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens enough to thickly coat the back of a spoon. Gradually stir in the cheese, then turn off the heat and rapidly whisk in the egg yolks one at a time. Stir in a dash of nutmeg.
6. Carefully pour the custard over the vegetables, trying not to dislodge them. Cover and continue cooking for about 1 hour longer, or until the custard is set.
7. Turn off the slow cooker and let the moussaka sit for 15-20 minutes, then carefully spoon up individual portions into a pasta bowl. Tip: The recipe suggests slicing up the dish into 4-6 portions right in the slow cooker insert with a sharp knife before removing the portions with a spoon.