Moussaka

The Greek favourite and one of my favourites too! You’ll want to try this delicious recipe! Don’t eat meat? Replace the meat with quorn for an equally as delicious dish! You’ll need:

3 eggplants 
3 large potatoes 
Olive oil
500 grams beef mince 
500 grams lamb mince 
1 onion 
3 garlic cloves 
1 can chopped tomatoes 
2 tablespoons tomato paste 
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon dry parsley 
1 teaspoon dry oregano 
1 teaspoon dry mint 
Salt 
Pepper 
Red wine 
Bread crumbs 

For the bechamel:
2 tablespoons butter 
A few tablespoons flour 
Whole milk 
1 teaspoon Salt 
1 teaspoon Pepper 
1 teaspoon Cinnamon 
1 teaspoon Nutmeg 
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
2 egg yolks

Method:

1. Begin by cutting eggplants horizontally, sprinkle the eggplant with salt (this is critical as it will dehydrate the eggplant) and set aside

2. While the eggplant dehydrates, prepare the filling, fry chopped onions and crushed garlic in a pan of olive oil until brown

3. Once the onions have browned, add the mince meat (half lamb/half beef)

4. Add the tomato paste, salt and all the herbs/spices listed to the mince meat once it has browned

5. Add the can of chopped tomatoes

6. And a drop of red wine (I would say about a glass of red wine)

7. Mix well and set aside

8. Once the eggplant has dehydrated (the time spent cooking the filling is sufficient enough for this) wash the salt of the eggplant with water and cover in flour

9. Fry the eggplant in olive oil (one minute per side should suffice)

10. Set the fried eggplant aside and make the bechamel sauce, you do this by adding flour and butter to a plan, creating a ball and then slowly adding milk until it turns into a sauce. Its critical that you add the milk slowly and mix consistently or the sauce will turn out lumpy

11. Once you’ve done this add the cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and pepper, and egg yolk to the sauce

12. Set aside. Cut up potatoes into thin slices and boil until nearly done

13. Now you will assemble the dish: You will do this by adding breadcrumbs to the bottom of a baking dish (this will prevent the food from sticking to the bottom of the pan) then add the boiled potatoes to the bottom of the pan (ensuring they are laid out side by side with no spaces in between) then the fried eggplant, side by side with no spaces in between, then the mince, then top with another layer of eggplant, and finally the bechamel sauce. Add grated halloumi all over the top of the dish, and some of dried mint

14. Bake until brown all over

15. and enjoy!