Athenian Besamel for Moussaka and Pastitsio (Μπεσαμέλ Αθηναϊκή)

Athenian besamel is the white crown of moussaka and pastitsio, thick enough to sit high over eggplant or pasta and brown in soft golden patches. It isn't the old village sauce of Greece. It is the urban loan that Athens adopted, stiffened with eggs and cheese, and made its own for the Sunday table.

The whole sauce rests on the roux, butter and flour cooked together before the milk goes in. Leave the flour raw and the finished besamel keeps that dull paste taste under the nutmeg. Cook it for two honest minutes, only to pale blond, and the sauce turns smooth, mild, and ready to carry kefalotyri without becoming heavy.

I use it generously. A thin smear is for timid casseroles, not for pastitsio. Make it warm, spread it at once, and let the oven set it into a soft layer you can cut cleanly. Your grandmother cooked by eye because she'd made it a thousand times. Here are the numbers until you have.