It’s a fine line, when you cook, between success and failure. I am always surprised by how tipping the balance in a dish can so easily transform it from delectable to inedible. How many times have you oversalted or undercooked a dish? When did you last lament wasting a fistful of pine nuts or a beautiful piece of fish, just because of a careless extra minute or two in the pan?

Eggplants are particularly prone to such disasters. I know some pretty confident cooks who, after a couple of memorable failures, wouldn’t touch them. It’s not that eggplants are that hard to cook (though they do take a bit of practice to get right). It has more to do with how unmitigated these failures are. A limp, gray, rubbery, undercooked chunk of eggplant could easily put you off the vegetable for life. Likewise, a slice that has spent too much time in a frying pan with oil that wasn’t hot enough, going dark and bitter and terribly fatty, wouldn’t turn anyone into a fan.

On the other hand, well-prepared eggplant — cooked through and nicely browned on the outside, full of flavor after absorbing just the right amount of oil or sauce — is heavenly. Balanced with other components, which add texture and cut through its natural richness, an eggplant can turn into the most thrilling vegetable around. I can think of countless examples, but the one that best illustrates this point is moussaka, the eggplant-and-meat dish from Greece, with variations across the Balkans and the Middle East.

A good moussaka has all the qualities that allow eggplant to shine: vegetables that are thoroughly cooked but keep some texture; a layer of browned lamb for meatiness; a cover of creamy bechamel; and enough tomato acidity to offset the richness. A bad one — well, it can have a lasting effect. I can tell you this with confidence because I was unfortunate enough to experience this last summer, and it happened in Greece, of all places.

The moussaka in question was bought in a little taverna on one of the Cyclades islands.

The moussaka we ordered and so wanted to love was left behind, quietly, on everyone’s plates; bits of eggplant and minced meat drenched in a mixture of runny bechamel, lamb fat and tomato sauce. The balance was all wrong, and no amount of good will, or culinary skill, could have saved it.

This is the first time I’ve revisited moussaka since. My recipe is only loosely inspired by moussaka, but is safer than the original, particularly if you harbor a bit of eggplant phobia. Cooking all the elements in one roasting pan, though not standard, will allow you to judge your progress as you go, addressing imbalances when you need to.

EGGPLANT, LAMB AND YOGURT CASSEROLE

By Yotam Ottolenghi

• 2 or 3 eggplants (about 1-1/2 pounds), cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 pound ground lamb
• 1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup fresh oregano leaves, roughly chopped
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons ground allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
• 1-3/4 teaspoons kosher salt
• Black pepper, to taste
• 1 (14-ounce) can whole, peeled plum tomatoes with their juices
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 1/3 cup roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley
• >> Topping:
• 2 cups plain Greek yogurt
• 3 large egg yolks
• 1-1/2 tablespoons flour
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 lightly packed cups finely grated Parmesan
• 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
• Black pepper, to taste
• 1 cup roughly crumbled feta
• Scant 1/3 cup (40 grams) pine nuts
• 2 packed tablespoons roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes

Heat oven to 450 degrees.

Combine eggplant, lamb, onion, oregano, oil, tomato paste, garlic, cinnamon, allspice, red-pepper flakes, salt and a good grind of pepper in a 10-by-13-inch (or similar) roasting pan; mix well. Bake until mixture is well browned, stirring twice and breaking apart meat with a spoon, 30 to 35 minutes.

Remove from oven and continue to break apart meat (don’t worry if you break apart some of the eggplant, too). Add tomatoes with their juices, lightly crushing tomatoes by hand. Stir in chicken stock and parsley. Bake another 35 minutes, stirring twice, until sauce is thick and rich, and eggplant is very soft. Remove from oven and turn oven temperature up to 475 degrees.

Meanwhile, prepare the topping: Whisk together yogurt, yolks, flour, garlic and half the Parmesan with salt and a good grind of pepper. Spoon over lamb and eggplant, gently spreading to cover.

Top evenly with remaining Parmesan, feta, pine nuts, parsley and red-pepper flakes. Bake until golden and bubbling, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool about 15 minutes before serving. Serves 4 to 6.

AND TO DRINK

This variation on moussaka calls for a lively red wine that won’t be drowned out by the dish’s assertive flavors.

If you can find a Greek red, like a limniona from a producer like Domaine Zafeirakis, it would be ideal. Or try a Montepulciano d’Abruzzo from the Adriatic coast of Italy, or a frappato or Cerasuolo diVittoria from Sicily.

Or, if you want to be bold, why not try one of the new wave of retsinas, Greece’s traditional white infused with pine resin? — Eric Asimov, New York Times

Nutritional information unavailable.