Greek Style Eggplant and Meat Casserole (Moussaka)

Rinse the eggplant and cut lengthwise into approximately 1/2 cm (approximately 1/4 inch) slices. Soak for about 20 minutes in salted water, then drain and pat dry. Heat 3-4 tablespoons of olive oil in a large non-stick pan, fry the eggplant until golden brown, then drain on paper towels.

Peel the onions and dice. Blanch the tomatoes in boiling salted water, rinse in cold water, peel, remove the stems and cut into cubes. Sauté the onions in 3 tablespoons oil in a pan. Stir in the ground beef and fry over high heat until the juice has evaporated. Add the tomatoes, white wine, salt, sugar, cinnamon, and pepper and continue to cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes, covered. Rinse the parsley, shake dry and chop finely. Mix the sunflower seeds and oregano into the meat, simmer for another 5 minutes, then let cool.

Preheat the convection oven to 180°C (approximately 350°F).

Mix the breadcrumbs with 2 tablespoons of the cheese into the meat. Heat the butter in a saucepan, stir in the flour and sauté. Stir in the milk, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and cook for about 5 minutes while stirring over low heat. Season with salt, pepper, nutmeg, and lemon juice and allow to cool slightly. Whisk 2 of the eggs and stir with the remaining gruyere, then mix into the sauce. Brush a baking dish with butter. Mix 1 egg with the meat. Place half of the eggplant into the bottom of the dish. Spread the meat mixture over the eggplant, then cover with the remaining eggplant and then the sauce. Crumble the soft feta cheese and distribute over the top of the sauce. Bake in the oven for about 1 hour.