Ingredients

Method

• 2 brinjals, thinly sliced 
• 4 potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced 
• 4 T olive oil
• salt, to taste  
• Parmesan, for sprinkling  
 For the meat sauce:  
• 3 T olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped  
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed  
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 t dried oregano
• 500 g lean beef mince
• 2 T tomato paste  
• 1/2 cup red wine (optional) 
• 1 x 400 g can  diced tomatoes
• 3/4 cup beef stock
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste  
For the béchamel sauce:  
• 3 T flour
• 3 T butter
• 1/2 t ground nutmeg
• 2 cups milk, heated
• 2 free-range egg yolks

Method

Ingredients

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Place the brinjals and potatoes on a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil and season. Bake until tender, this should take about 20 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, prepare the meat sauce. Heat the olive oil in a pan over a medium heat, add the onion, garlic, bay leaves, cinnamon and oregano and fry for 5 minutes. Increase the heat to high, add the mince and fry until cooked. Add the tomato paste and red wine, cook for 10 minutes, then add the tomatoes, stock and seasoning and simmer for 10 minutes. Set aside.

3. To make the béchamel sauce, cook the flour and butter for 5 minutes over medium heat, whisking continuously. Add the nutmeg, then gradually add the milk slowly while whisking until all the milk is incorporated. Simmer for 5 minutes. Cool the béchamel for 5 minutes, then whisk in the egg yolks.

4. To assemble the moussaka, layer a baking dish with the potatoes, then the brinjals, then meat sauce, then brinjals, then béchamel until the dish is full. Top with Parmesan and bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Serve hot.

Find more savoury bakes here.