Moussaka

Widely recognised as a Greek national dish, but has Arabic roots--well known around the Mediterranean from Greece to Turkey and even Egypt. Heady flavours of cinnamon, rich tomato, delicate lamb and a creamy bechamel topping make for an amazing casserole. A unique dish that will easily become a family favourite. Make a Greek salad alongside and you've got a nutritional, well-rounded dinner solution.

I shamelessly swiped some notes from the amazing Felicity Cloake--who over-researches everything she does, resulting in spectacularly satisfying presentations, that most people probably just glance over. And that's a shame because her efforts are richly rewarding to anyone wanting to learn more about the WHY of cooking. I have several of her books and you should too.

v2.0 -- This ultimate version has the option of adding a decadent base of potato dauphinois. This was suggested to me by the gastronomic connoisseur Mark Hindmarch after he returned from a trip to the Mediterranean. This really elevates the dish and also makes it a more rounded meal but it does add another hour (or more) to the cooking time--so be mindful of that.

Ingredients

• For the Potato Base (optional):
• 600g Potatoes, peeled, sliced thin (3mm), see-through
• 600ml Chicken Stock (Recipe HERE)
• 2 Tbsp Garlic, crushed, divided
• 1 Tbsp Butter, melted
• 2 tsp Thyme, divided
• 1 cup Cream
• 1/2 tsp Nutmeg, ground
• Salt and Pepper
• For the Filling:
• 4 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil (the good stuff)
• 1 large Onion, finely diced
• 1 Tbsp Garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp Cinnamon, ground
• 1 tsp Oregano, dried
• 500g Lamb, minced
• 150ml Red Wine
• 1 Tbsp Tomato Paste, mixed with 50ml water
• 400g can Crushed Tomatoes, Roma
• 150ml Red Wine
• A small bunch of Flat-Leaf Parsley, chopped
• 3 medium or 2 large Egg Plant, sliced thinly, seasoned
• For the Bechamel Sauce:
• 500ml Milk
• 60g Butter
• 60g Plain Flour
• 50g Kefalotyri or Pecorino cheese, grated
• 2 Eggs, beaten
• Nutmeg, to grate

Method

1. Potato Base (optional):
2. Heat your oven to 220°C/fan 200°C/gas 7.
3. Transfer potatoes to a medium saucepan and add the Chicken Stock (Recipe HERE). Add 1 Tbsp of Garlic and the Butter. Bring to a boil, season with salt and pepper, then reduce heat to simmer very gently for 20 minutes. Gently drain and set aside to cool.
4. Meanwhile, in a smaller saucapan, add cream along with the nutmeg, the other 1 Tbsp of Garlic and teaspoon of Thyme. Bring to heat but don't allow to boil.
5. Grease a 3 litre baking dish with butter. Lay down a single layer of potatoes and then pour over some of the cream mix. Create another layer of potatoes and a little more cream. Repeat until there is no more potato.
6. Bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes (quick) -or- 3 hours in Bain Marie at 120degC (for best results). Use a cartouche to maximise the flavour if you like.
7. When done, remove from oven and set aside.
8. The Filling:
9. Put 2 tablespoons of olive oil into a large frying pan over a medium-high heat and cook the chopped onion until golden and soft. Add the garlic, cinnamon and oregano to the pan and cook for a few minutes, then stir in the lamb. Turn up the heat slightly, and brown the lamb well--a very DEEP brown. Cook until the mixture is quite dry.
10. Add the wine and reduce, stirring for 5 minutes or so so that the alcohol evaporates.
11. Stir in the tomato paste, canned tomatoes. Add a half teaspoon of white pepper. Bring to a simmer, then turn the heat down low and cook for 30–40 minutes, until most of the liquid has evaporated again. Season with salt and stir in the chopped parsley. Set aside.
12. Bechamel Sauce:
13. Meanwhile, make the sauce: Gently heat the milk in a microwave (but do not allow to boil). Melt the butter in a saucepan. Whisk the flour into the butter and cook for a couple of minutes on medium heat until you lose that raw flour smell, then very gradually whisk in the hot milk until smooth. Simmer gently to make a thick sauce, then add the cheese, stirring it in until melted.
14. Remove the sauce from the heat and allow it to cool slightly, then beat in the eggs, season to taste and add slightly more nutmeg than you might think wise (it’s a strong flavour, but this dish can take it – use 1 teaspoon at the very least).
15. Bringing it all together:
16. If you haven't made the potato base, prepare a 3 litre baking dish by greasing it with butter. Otherwise, grab the dish that has your potato base in it and continue...
17. Using one third of the Egg Plant, lay down a layer in your dish, then top with half of the meat filling. Repeat these layers again, finishing off with a layer of Egg Plant, then top with the bechamel sauce.
18. Bake at 200degC/fan 180degC/gas 6 for about 45 minutes, until well browned on top, and leave to cool for 20 minutes before serving.