Moussaka from Eat Like a Greek
“Moussaka is the classic Greek comfort meal… sliced roasted potato and aubergine layered with rich minced beef and topped with an even richer béchamel sauce. The wonderful thing about moussaka is that the flavours become even more pronounced as the dish cools down, making it perfect for leftovers (that’s if you have any!). As with most of my recipes with a minced beef sauce, I’m using red wine, stock and a combination of seasonings to deepen its flavour. Despite the various cooking stages involved, my version requires minimal effort and creates little washing up; just whack the potato slices in the oven first then add the aubergine to the same tray while you get on with the sauces.” Marina Georgallides, author of Eat Like a Greek
Serves 6-8
2 large potatoes, very thinly sliced (about 1mm/ 1/16 inch)
2 aubergines, thinly sliced
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
Salt and pepper
For the mince sauce
1–2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 red onion, chopped
1 tablespoon tomato purée
2 tablespoons dried oregano
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, plus extra to finish
750g (1lb 10oz) minced beef (10% fat)
400g (14oz) can chopped tomatoes
1 vegetable stock cube, dissolved in 150ml (5fl oz) hot water
100ml (3½fl oz) red wine
2 bay leaves
For the béchamel
50g (1¾oz) butter
50g (1¾oz) plain flour
600ml (20fl oz) full-fat milk
Pinch of ground cinnamon and grated nutmeg
70g (2½oz) Parmesan cheese, grated, to garnish
Preheat the oven to 180°C fan (400°F), Gas Mark 6. Spread the potato slices over a large, deep-sided baking tray (about 38 × 25cm/15 × 10 inches) and coat them in half the oil and half the thyme, and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, put the aubergine slices in a mixing bowl with the rest of the oil, thyme and seasoning. Stir to coat. Once the potatoes have softened (they don’t need to be fully cooked through), remove the tray from the oven and evenly spread the aubergines over the potatoes. Return the tray to the oven for a further 30 minutes. After about 15 minutes, lower the temperature to 160°C fan (350°F), Gas Mark 4 so that the aubergines don’t char too quickly.
Turn your attention to the mince sauce. Pour the oil into a saucepan and place over a medium heat. After 1–2 minutes stir in the onion. Cook for 2 minutes, until softened, then stir through the tomato purée, oregano and cinnamon, and season with salt and pepper.
Once the purée has darkened in colour, add the minced beef, breaking it up into chunks with the back of a wooden spoon to ensure it cooks evenly. Leave to brown fully for about 5 minutes.
Stir in the tomatoes, prepared vegetable stock, wine and bay leaves. Turn down the heat to low and cover the pan with a lid. Leave to simmer for 20–25 minutes, or until the sauce has reduced and the smell of the wine has dissipated.
Next, prepare the béchamel. Melt the butter in another large saucepan over a medium heat. Once it has melted, add the flour and whisk: it will form a thick roux. Slowly add the milk in 5–6 goes, whisking continuously to stop any clumps from forming, until the sauce thickens. Once thick, take the pan off the heat and whisk in a pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg.
Remove the tray of cooked aubergine and potatoes from the oven and turn up the temperature to 180°C fan (400°F), Gas Mark 6.
Layer the mince sauce over the aubergine and potato slices, spreading it out evenly. Then use a ladle to spread the béchamel to form a layer over the mince.
Smooth carefully with a spatula to avoid blending the béchamel with the meat layer. Finally, top the béchamel with the grated Parmesan and a light dusting of cinnamon. Bake the assembled moussaka for 40 minutes until golden brown on top. Leave for an hour to cool at room temperature before slicing and serving – this ensures the layers remain intact.
