Moussaka -

Moussaka

Ingredients

30ml/2 tbsp olive oil
30ml/2 tbsp chopped fresh oregano
1 large onion, finely chopped
675g/1½lb lean lamb, minced (ground)
1 large aubergine (eggplant), sliced
2 x 400g/14oz cans chopped tomatoes
45ml/3 tbsp tomato purée (paste)
1 lamb stock cube, crumbled
2 floury main crop potatoes, halved
115g/4oz/1 cup Cheddar cheese, grated
150ml/¼ pint/⅔ cup single (light) cream
Salt and ground black pepper
Fresh bread, to serve

Details

Serves: 6

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4. Heat the olive oil in a large deep-sided frying pan. Fry the oregano and onions over a low heat, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes or until the onions have softened.

2. Stir in the lamb and cook for 10 minutes until browned. Meanwhile, grill the aubergine slices for 5 minutes until browned, turning once.

3. Stir the tomatoes and purée into the mince mixture, and crumble the stock cube over it, stir well, season with salt and pepper and simmer uncovered for a further 15 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, cook the potatoes in lightly salted boiling water for 5-10 minutes until just tender. Drain, and when cool enough to handle, cut into thin slices.

5. Layer the aubergines, mince and potatoes in a 1.75 litre/3 pint/7½ cup oval ovenproof dish, finishing with a layer of potatoes.

6. Mix the cheese and cream together in a bowl and pour over the top of the other ingredients in the dish. Cook for 45-50 minutes until bubbling and golden on the top. Serve straight from the dish, while hot, with plenty of fresh, crusty bread.

COOK'S TIP:- The larger the surface area of the dish, the quicker the moussaka will cook; however, the dish must be deep enough to hold the layers and allow the sauce to bubble up during baking without boiling over the rim.

VARIATION:- If you want to add more vegetables to the dish, use slices of courgette, grilled in the same way as the aubergines, instead of the sliced potato in the layers, then top the dish with a layer of well-seasoned mashed potatoes before pouring over the sauce. To make the dish even richer, add a sprinkling of freshly grated Parmesan cheese with each layer of aubergine.

Energy 465Kcal/1938kj; Protein 30.5g; Carbohydrate 18.3g of which sugars 7.4g; Fat 30.1g of which saturates 14.7g; Cholesterol 119mg; Calcium 215mg; Fibre 2.8g; Sodium 281mg

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