Moussaka

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A traditional Greek dish of layers of griddled aubergines, minced lamb flavoured with herbs and light spices and potatoes all topped of with a firm thick layer of white sauce. Perfect with toasted pitta bread and a mixed dressed salad. If you don’t like aubergines replace with grilled courgettes or use as well as.
If cooking from cold bake for 50-60 minutes.

Preparation time: 30-40 minutes   Quantity: Serves 6 (generous portions)   Cooking time: 1 hour or so

Ingredients

For the layers -
1 aubergine
500g peeled potatoes -sliced 1 cm thick
2 tablespoons olive oil

For the filling -
1 tablespoon olive oil
200g/ 2 onions - small dice
2 cloves garlic -crushed
450-500g minced lamb
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon fresh chopped oregano (1/2 dried)
2 teaspoons Worcester sauce
1/4 pint/150 ml stock
3/4 pint/450 ml tomato juice
1/2 juice fresh lemon
2 tablespoons tomato puree
seasoning

For the topping/white sauce -
50g butter
50g plain flour
1 pint/550 ml full fat milk
touch nutmeg
2 small eggs
2 teaspoons cornflour
seasoning

Method

For the layers -

  • First grill the aubergine slices, brushed with olive oil till golden on both sides and soft
  • Meanwhile steam or boil the potato slices till just under cooked, still firm and holding together


For the filling -

  • Meanwhile heat the olive oil in a large frying pan and fry of the onion till soft without colour
  • Add the garlic and cook for a few seconds
  • Add the minced lamb, turn up the heat and fry, stirring all the time, breaking up any lumps and cooking the mince till browned and sealed
  • Add all the spices and allow to coat the mince and cook out the flavour
  • Add the herb, Worcester sauce, tomato juice and stock
  • Cook for 20 -30 minutes on a low heat, till the mince is tender (you may need to add more water or stock if the mix dries out)
  • Squeeze on the lemon and stir in the puree, stir and season to taste


For the topping -

  • Meanwhile (again) while the mince is on, in a saucepan melt the butter
  • Stir in the flour -cook out till the mix becomes firm and stops sticking to the sides
  • Pour the milk in, in about 6-8 lots stirring between each lot, till incorporated and thickened
  • Mix the cornflour with a little water and add to the white sauce -cook till thickened even more
  • Season to taste and take of the heat

Cool -slightly and then beat in the eggs

Finally -

  • Now you have the mince lamb filling, the white sauce topping, the grilled aubergines and the boiled potatoes -So now put it all together
  • In an ovenproof dish place the potatoes on the bottom, spoon over the minced lamb mix, cover with the slices of aubergines and then pour over the white sauce
  • Cook in a preheated oven gas 6/200*c/400*f for 20-30 minutes
  • Serve