Musaka – Moussaka

North Macedonian musaka, or "moussaka" as it is commonly spelled abroad, is a delicious soul-warming casserole dish that is simple to prepare for dinner. As one might expect, musaka, like chapati, is not just created in North Macedonia. It is a dish found in Ottoman Empire cuisines. Greek and Turkish cuisines have helped to popularize it over the world. However, if you believe you know what musaka (or moussaka) is, there are several distinctions between the North Macedonian form and, say, the Greek one.

When you're craving beef and potatoes, Musaka is the recipe to make. It is best eaten and served fresh out of the oven because it is rich, full, and spicy. Macedonian musaka is a layer of potato slices topped with ground beef meat and fried onion. It's seasoned with salt, red pepper spice, and black pepper, and it's finished with an egg crust for a crispy texture and golden color. Musaka is a genuine taste explosion when baked in the oven. This well-known Ottomon meal has become one of the country's most popular dishes. Musaka is essentially a traditional recipe with a Macedonian twist.

Ingredients

• 500 g minced meat (beef, pork, or mixed), 800 g potatoes, 1 onion, 3 eggs, 800 ml milk, salt, spices (paprika, black pepper, other to taste), olive oil

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 220°C.
• Prepare the potatoes - peel and thinly slice them.
• Heat olive oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat and add onion; cook for 2 minutes.
• When the onion is softened, add the minced meat. Break apart with a wooden spoon and cook until browned. Season it with paprika, salt, and pepper. Remove from heat and set aside.
• Lay half of the sliced potatoes on the bottom of a baking pan. Season with salt as you go.
• Then, top the potatoes with a minced meat mixture.
• Next, put another layer of potato slices over the meat, until the meat is covered with potatoes. Set aside.
• In a bowl, whisk the eggs, then whisk in the milk, add salt, and continue to whisk until thoroughly combined.
• Pour evenly over the potatoes until it is right below the top layer.Note: Don't pour over the top layer - the liquid will start to boil in the oven. If the liquid doesn't reach the top layer, add some more milk or water until it does.
• Sprinkle the top layer with some olive oil and salt to get it nicely golden and crispy.
• Bake in the oven until potatoes are tender and top is golden brown, about 1 hour. Broil, if desired, to crisp the top further.