Moussaka

This classic Greek Moussaka is definitely a labour of love. Get a few techniques right and it’ll be a crowd pleaser for all.

What you’ll need;

Sauce

1kg of low fat lamb mince (can also use beef)

1 whole onion, diced

5 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tbsp tomato paste

1 can of whole Roma tomatoes

2tsp dried oregano

4 sprig of fresh thyme

4 whole cloves

1 cinnamon stick

Vegetables

4 Japanese (thin) eggplants, thinly sliced

2 large Zucchini, thinly sliced

3-4 large potatoes, thinly sliced

Béchamel Sauce

1/3 cup of butter

1/3 cup of regular flour

1 L of full cream milk

Freshly grated nutmeg to taste ( I like 1 tsp)

1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan

2 egg yolks, beaten

Preheat oven to 190 Celsius

In a large pan over medium high heat add the lamb. Sauté until golden brown. This is a crucial step, make sure you truly brown the meat, making sure there is plenty of caramelisation happening. Refer to story highlight to see example. Once the meat has browned add in the onion and a good pinch of salt, sauté this for a few minutes and then add in your garlic. Add in a dash of water to help deglaze the pan. Add the remaining ingredients in for the sauce and combine well. Simmer on a low heat for 30 minutes. Once cooked try the sauce and adjust seasoning.

Whilst the sauce is cooking add your sliced vegetables onto baking trays that are lined with baking paper, drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt, pepper & oregano. Bake vegetables until golden brown on edges (approx 15 minutes). Once vegetables are cooked drop oven temperature to 180 Celsius.

The last component to your moussaka is the béchamel sauce. Use a good quality heavy bottom pot for this. I use my le creuset dutch oven. Melt butter over medium heat. Once the butter has melted add in all your flour and whisk together until a paste has been made. Once combined add in about a cup of your milk. At this point take the pot off the heat and whisk quite vigorously to combine all ingredients and ensuring there are no lumps. Then add the rest of your milk, return pot to medium heat and whisk together. This process can take a little while. Don’t leave your pot! Continue whisking the béchamel until it has formed a nice thick consistency. At this point you may add your salt, pepper & freshly grated nutmeg. Remove pot from the heat and whisk in the egg yolks & parmesan.

To assemble Moussaka

Add a little oil to the bottom of your baking dish. Arrange the potatoes on the bottom of the dish topped with half of the meat sauce. Then a layer of your eggplants & zucchini, top that with the rest of your meat sauce. Pour the béchamel on top and bake for 40 minutes or until the top is a nice golden brown. Once cooked, remove from the oven and let it sit for 30 minutes before serving.

Enjoy!

Sarah x