MOUSSAKA MOUSSAKA MOUSSAKA

 

One of my many favourite dishes to eat, I just love every mouthful.

 

(serves 6)

 

Ingredients

1 kg lamb

1 large onion fine diced

3 cloves garlic find diced

1 glass dry white wine

3 tins chopped tomatoes

4 aubergines

1 tbsp fresh oregano

1 tsp fresh thyme

3 bay leaves

1/2 cinnamon stick

1 tbsp tomato puree

Salt and ground black pepper

200ml ooil

 

FOR THE BECHAMEL

100g butter

100g plain flour

1ltr whole milk

Seasoning

200g Gruyere grated

100g Parmesan

2 egg yolks beaten

1 whole egg beaten

 

QUICK COOKING GUIDE
Soften onions, brown the lamb, drain lamb in a sieve, return to pan add the wine to de-glaze, add rest of ingredients, not the salt.  Simmer for 1 hour, season, make bechamel and pan fry the aubergines.  In a roasting tin layer lamb, aubergine, repeat three times and finish off with bechamel and bake 1hr.

 

 

IN MORE DETAIL

Soften the onions in some ooil for approx 5 minutes, add the garlic and cook for a few minutes.  Brown of the lamb and then tip into a sieve to drain, add back to the pan with the onions and garlic, pour in the wine to de-glaze and once almost evaporated add the tomatoes, thyme, oregano, bay leaves, cinnamon and tomato puree and simmer for approx 1 hour until you have a medium consistency, season.

 

While the lamb is simmering away slice the aubergines to 1/2 inch thickness, discs or lengths, I like to slice discs as I find when dishing up for lots of people the moussaka serves more evenly rather than pulling out long lengths of aubergine that you have to cut through.  Sprinkle generously with salt and drizzle with ooil, in batches in a hot pan sear both sides of the aubergine. 

 

Now to make the bechamel, I like to make this while I am searing the aubergines as it cuts down on the preparation time.  Melt the butter gently, add the flour and stir in well, cook on low heat for a couple of minutes to help cook out the flour.  Start to add the milk a big glug at a time and stir in well each time, once all the milk has been added gently bring the bechamel up to almost a simmer and cook for 20 minutes stirring almost all the time, while searing the aubergine.  Take off the heat and add almost all of the grated cheese, reserving a little for the top, taste and season with salt and white pepper.  If you want a more cheesy bechamel just add more cheese.  Beat the egg yolks and whole egg together and slowly drizzle in to the bechamel whisking all the time.  Now you are ready to assemble the beautiful moussaka.

 

Layer some of the lamb on the bottom of the roasting tin, then a layer of aubergines, repeat again and then once more and finish of the final layer with bechamel, sprinkle the remaining grated Gruyere and Parmesan cheese and bake in a pre-heated oven for approx 1 hr ish until pipping hot and golden all over, then serve with a chunk of garlic bread and some watercress and spinach salad, just perfect...

 

 

 

Gorgeous...