Moussaka, Greek lamb mince with roasted eggplant and zucchini

Recipe

The Greek version of lasagne –outstanding flavours of cinnamon scented lamb layered with roasted eggplant topped with a béchamel sauce.

I have included extra greens for a more complete dish and to lighten it up - a layer of roasted zucchini (courgette) on the base adds great structure and texture, a spinach layer under the béchamel for that harmonious combination – all native Greek ingredients and compliment the recipe beautifully.

This ss a labour of love to make, but as it can be done in advance it is a super party main where on the night all you need to do is reheat it in the oven and relax with your guests.

Serves 6. Freezes well.

Pictured: Moussaka with roasted eggplant and zucchini

Meat Sauce –

1 onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, finely diced

Extra light Olive oil

1kg minced lamb

Sprigs of oregano and thyme

A splash of white wine

¼ tsp allspice

¼ tsp cinnamon

2 bay leaves

2 x 400g tins diced tomatoes

3 large eggplant/aubergine, sliced

3 large or 5 medium zucchini, slice lengthways

½ cup dried breadcrumbs

Small bunch spinach, washed and sliced

Béchamel Sauce

40g unsalted butter

1/3 cup (40g) plain flour

2 cups (500ml) milk – start with up to 400ml and add the last 100ml if it needs to be thinner

Freshly grated nutmeg

1 tbsp sherry

40g grated Parmesan

Optional - 1 egg lightly beaten, or just the yolk – the yolk adds a richness to the sauce and the white adds a puffiness when it cooks which can be delicious

Prepare the spinach - cook in a little oil and garlic, with a touch of sherry – if short on time use garlic oil ( I like the Australian Cobram estate or Pukara brands).

Make the béchamel sauce - Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat until foaming. Add the flour and cook for 1 – 2 minutes to “cook out” the flour. You are looking to make a thick paste (called a “roux”) that has been cooked together until well mixed and smooth.

Gradually whisk in the milk, starting with 150ml or so - whisk well to remove any lumps and mix until smooth before adding more milk. You will need to adjust the temperature as you go here to blend in the milk evenly – remove from the heat if you feel its bubbling too much and needs to cool quickly etc. After 400ml has been added, you can add the nutmeg, sherry and parmesan and a good pinch of salt, plus lots of pepper. Return to the heat and stir constantly while it simmers and thickens for a few minutes. Add the last 100ml of milk if the mixture feels too thick and reduce the heat and simmer for a further minute. Taste the sauce at this stage – check if it needs more sherry, nutmeg, seasoning etc. It often needs tweaking depending on how strong or salty the parmesan is.

Optional - if you would like to add the egg/yolk, remove from the heat and when the bubbles subside, whisk in the egg quickly.

Cover the sauce with some baking paper cut to fit (aka “cartouche”) to let it cool – this acts as a lid that lets the steam escape but prevents the top of the sauce forming a skin while it cools.

In a casserole pot, gently fry the onion and garlic in the extra light olive oil, til soft.

In 4 batches, brown the lamb in a separate pan – do not stir straight away once a batch is in the pan, let brown well first, as the liquid will come out if you stir too much and stew the lamb instead.

Once the onion is soft, add the lamb to the casserole pot.

Deglaze the pan used for frying the lamb with a splash of white wine and add this and all the remaining juices to the casserole pot.

Add the spices and bay leaves and fry off a little, stirring.

Once the fragrance has been released after a few minutes, add some sea salt and ground pepper.

Add the tomatoes- rinse the cans out with water, half filled, and add this to the pot as well.

Let this sauce simmer gently, stirring now and then, for 1 hour.

In the meantime, grill the eggplant and zucchini under a hot grill – gently toss in some oil and season before grilling. I like to add some more fresh oregano and thyme to the vegetables too.

In a lasagne dish, oil the bottom of the pan, sprinkle the breadcrumbs over, layer the zucchini to cover the bottom. Layer half the lamb mix on top of the zucchini, then layer the eggplant on top followed by the other half of the lamb. Add the layer of spinach.

Spread the béchamel sauce over the very top, sprinkle with parmesan and breadcrumbs and dot with butter, season.

Bake in a preheated moderate oven (180°C) for one hour, until bubbling and golden.