Helen Tzouganatos' Greek moussaka recipe
Nothing like a traditional winter cuisine.
Ingredients
Serves 6 – 8.
2 large eggplants, thinly sliced
2 large sebago potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
Olive oil for frying
Lamb Bolognese
3 tbs olive oil
1 onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
500g lamb mince
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tbs rosemary, chopped
2 x 400g tin crushed tomato
2 tbs tomato paste
Cinnamon quill
Pinch of grated nutmeg
Sea salt and cracked pepper to season
Bechamel
100g butter
100g plain flour or gluten free plain flour
800mL full cream milk
100g kefalogaveria cheese, grated
1 beaten egg
Pinch of cinnamon
Method
1. Heat olive oil in a medium sized pot, add onion and garlic and sauté until soft.
2. Add mince, oregano, rosemary and brown.
3. Add crushed tomato, tomato paste, cinnamon quill and nutmeg and simmer on low heat for 1 hour. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Salt the eggplant slices. Pan fry the sliced eggplant in a medium – hot frypan with a drizzle of olive oil. Drain on a paper towel.
5. Place the potato slices in a microwave casserole dish with 1/4 cup water and cook for 10 minutes or until potato is tender. Drain and cool slightly to release moisture from potato.
6. For the béchamel melt butter over low heat in a saucepan and stir in flour until a smooth paste is formed.
7. Slowly pouring in milk stirring simultaneously. Keep stirring until a thick consistency is achieved.
8. Remove from heat and whisk in both cheeses, beaten egg and pinch of cinnamon. Season to taste.
9. To assemble oil a rectangular casserole dish. Lay eggplant on base. Add layer of lamb bolognese on top of eggplant. Place potato slices on meat sauce and cover with béchamel. Grate with extra kefalogaveria cheese.
10. Bake in preheated oven at 200C for 45 minutes or until golden.
Visit Helen’s website for more delicious info or her Instagram page.
