MOUSSAKA STUFFED AUBERGINE

I know I say this a lot but this has to be one of my most favourite eats, probably because I rarely allow myself to have this, the reason for this is that it is rather high on the calorific scale, NOT that I ever shy away from calories and honest fat, but I know me! and only having this a couple of times a year still means  I can serve myself a wonderfully naughty indulgent over the top extra extra large portion and as I make enough to have leftovers I can enjoy further indulgent the next day!

Allow 1 hour to make and 30 minutes to bake

Ingredients

(Serves 4 + 4 more!)

2 aubergines

1 kg grass feed minced lamb

2 tbsp coconut oil

1 large onion finely diced

2 cloves garlic finely diced

2 tins tomatoes crushed

2 tbsp tomato purée 

4 tbsp fresh oregano

2 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried chillies

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp ground black pepper

1 cinnamon bark

The Bechamel Sauce

1 ltr whole cream milk

100g butter

100g plain flour

1 small onion

1 clove

1 bay leaf

1 kg cheddar grated

sea salt 

ground black pepper

This is a divide and conquer cook, making it quicker to make than doing each part individually, but feel free to take your time as I often do making each level individually.  First pre heat your oven to 180 degrees, take the aubergines and cut in half, scoop out all the filling leaving aubergine boats, chop the filling and reserve to one side, toss the aubergine boats in the oil and season with salt and pepper, pop on a tray and bake in the oven for approx 30 minutes, meanwhile...

Start the bechamel, place the milk in a sauce pan along with the onion, bay leaf and clove and bring to a almost simmer, take off the heat and leave to infuse for ten minutes while you start cooking the lamb.

Heat a deep wide saucepan, add some coconut oil and soften the onions and garlic then add the lamb mince and cinnamon and gently pan fry until just cooked, take off the heat and drain the meat through a sieve, keeping all the juices, reserve to one side for a moment, add the lamb mince back into the saucepan along with the tomatoes, tomato purée and the scooped out chopped aubergine, bring to a gentle simmer, add the salt and pepper, both oregano's and chilli, now add back the reserved cooking juices, if not using grass feed lamb spoon off the fat first.  Simmer very gently for around 40 minutes, then take off the heat and leave to one side until needed.

Meanwhile finish off the bechamel sauce, pass the the infused milk through a sieve in to a jug and then in a deep saucepan place the butter and melt, add the flour and combine, cook out on a low heat for five minutes, then start to add a ladle of your infused milk a ladle at a time to the roux, incorporating fully each time, keep adding until you have a thick bechamel sauce, season with sea salt and white pepper, then add the cheese and stir until melted, reserve to one side.

Now a quick assemble for the final dish. take your aubergine boats and layer with cheese becahmel, lamb, bechamel, lamb and finally bechamel,then place on a baking tray ready to give a final bake, this is not totally necessary, but it does add that extra layer of crispy flavour which is so worth the effort, and gives that overall sumptuousness which is what cooking is all about.  Serve and enjoy, enjoy enjoy...