Dinner · Greek

Lamb moussaka

Name: Lamb moussaka
Total time: 100 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Greek
Ingredients: 2 Aubergines; 3 tbsp Olive oil; 1 Brown onion; 3 cloves Garlic, crushed; 500g Lamb mince; 1 tsp Ground cinnamon; 1 tsp Dried oregano; 2 tbsp Tomato purée; 1 tin Chopped tomatoes; 50g Butter; 50g Plain flour; 500ml Semi-skimmed milk; 60g Italian-style hard cheese, finely grated; 1 Egg

Silky roast aubergine, cinnamon-spiced lamb and a thick cheese sauce, layered and baked golden.

Start to finish: 1 hr 40 min
Hands-on: 46 min
In the fridge: 3 days
Freezes: Yes

Contains gluten, dairy, eggs

Ingredients

4 portions

2Aubergines
3 tbspOlive oil
1Brown onion
3 clovesGarlic, crushed
500gLamb mince
1 tspGround cinnamon
1 tspDried oregano
2 tbspTomato purée
1 tinChopped tomatoes
50gButter
50gPlain flour
500mlSemi-skimmed milk
60gItalian-style hard cheese, finely grated
1Egg

Plus salt, pepper and water.

Method

1
Heat the oven to 220C (200C fan). Slice the aubergines into 1cm rounds, brush both sides with the oil, season and spread over two baking trays.
2
Roast for 25 minutes, turning halfway, until soft and golden.
25 min, mostly hands-off
3
Meanwhile, finely chop the onion and crush the garlic.
4
Brown the lamb in a large dry pan over a high heat for 8 minutes, breaking it up, until no pink remains. Spoon off most of the fat, add the onion and cook for 6 minutes, until soft.
5
Stir in the garlic, cinnamon, oregano and tomato purée for a minute, then the chopped tomatoes and 100ml water. Simmer for 20 minutes, until thick. Season well.
22 min, mostly hands-off
6
While it simmers, melt the butter in a pan, stir in the flour and cook for a minute. Gradually whisk in the milk and simmer for 4 minutes, whisking, until thick and smooth. Take off the heat, stir in most of the cheese, then beat in the egg.
7
Turn the oven down to 180C (160C fan). Layer half the aubergine in a baking dish, then half the lamb, then repeat. Pour over the sauce and scatter with the rest of the cheese.
8
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until deep golden and bubbling. Leave it to settle for 10 minutes before cutting, or cool completely and portion for the fridge or freezer.
50 min, mostly hands-off

On the day

Reheat portions in the microwave or a low oven until piping hot all the way through. A plain tomato and cucumber salad is the thing alongside.

Cook’s tip

Roasting the aubergine rather than frying it uses a fraction of the oil and still gives you that silky texture.