Greek Moussaka
The last time I had a genuine Greek Moussaka was in a restaurant in Plaka (Athens) in 1978!
I was very disappointed that it was so greasy the red fat floated on top of the white sauce and cheese.
Nowadays, once I’ve browned the meat, I usually pour out the excess fat.
INGREDIENTS
1lb lamb mince
1 aubergine, cut into long slices
2 large potatoes, cut into slices
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried mint
1 bay leaf
1 pinch of cinnamon
1 tbsp plain flour
1 glass of red wine
1 tin chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp tomato purée
2 aubergines, cut into 0.5cm slices
Salt
Olive oil
1lb potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
Black pepper
1 pint of Béchamel sauce
2 tbsp of Parmesan
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 200°C.
Heat a heavy-bottomed pan and add 2 Tbsp of olive oil
Add the lamb, onion and brown over a medium heat for 10 minutes
Add the garlic, oregano, mint, bay and cinnamon
Once the mince is loose, stir in the flour and season
Add the wine, tomatoes and tomato purée and bring to a simmer
Cook for 30 minutes until the lamb is tender and the sauce has thickened
Meanwhile, place the aubergine slices in a colander and sprinkle with the tablespoon of salt. Leave to drip for 10 minutes
Rinse under cold running water and pat dry
Heat 3 tablespoons of the oil in a large heavy-based frying pan and fry the aubergines for 2–3 minutes on each side
Remove from the pan and set aside to drain on kitchen paper
Add more oil and shallow fry the potatoes until soft
Drain on kitchen paper
Spoon some of the meat into an oven dish
Add a layer of potatoes, then one of the aubergines
Repeat twice more
Pour over the Béchamel sauce covering everything.
Sprinkle with Parmesan.
Bake for 40 minutes or until golden-brown.
Béchamel Sauce:
Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat
Stir in the flour and cook without browning for 2-3 minutes stirring with a wooden spoon
Add bay leaf and onion
Whisk in a little of the milk at a time, stirring continuously until you have a smooth, slightly thick sauce
Remove from the heat; season with salt and pepper
Sieve to discard the onion and bayleaf