Greek moussaka

This year, for the first time, I've grow aubergines. I wasn't expecting aubergine plants to be so easy to grow. I didn't know that, left in the plant, aubergines grow to gigantic sizes. I am so pleased!

I picked an aubergine weighing 500g. Yes, half a kilo! What could I do with it? I remembered moussaka has aubergines. I've had moussaka before but I have never cooked one. So I went for it!

No moussaka recipe in my books. Online I wasn't happy with a single recipe so I decided to do a mix with:

• Wikipedia's description of a traditional Greek moussaka recipe - 3 layers: aubergine, lamb mince and white sauce.
• The Hairy Bikers' moussaka recipe.
• Akis Petretzikis authentic Greek moussaka recipe.

The recipe has many steps and calls for a lot of washing up but the end result was delicious. The only thing I would change is the amount of aubergine. I think that a thicker layer of aubergine would highlight better the taste of aubergine in the dish. So I have doubled the amount I used to 1kg in the final recipe below.

Serves: 6 persons.

Ingredients:

• 1kg aubergine, sliced thinly
• 500g lamb mince
• 2tbsp tomato puree
• 1 red onion,finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 big bay leaf (or 3 small ones)
• 1tsp allspice
• 400g tin chopped tomatoes
• 150ml red wine
• 100g grated parmesan cheese
• olive oil
• salt & pepper to taste
• For the white sauce:
• 100g butter
• 100g plain flour (or change to 90g cornflour for gluten-free)
• 750ml milk
• nutmeg to taste
• salt & pepper to taste

Method:

1. Prepare the aubergines:
1. 
   
2. Put the aubergine slices in a recipient with salt between the layers. Set aside for 1 hour.

   

   Huge!
   

   
   
   
3. After an hour, rinse the aubergine slices under cold running water and pat dry with a clean tea towel.
   
4. Heat olive oil in a frying pan and fry the aubergine slices, 2-3 min in each side, in batches, adding more olive oil in between batches.
   

   
5. Set aside to drain in kitchen paper.
2. Cook the lamb mince:
1. Fry the onion, garlic, cinnamon stick, bay leaf and allspice in olive oil for 5 min.
2. Add the lamb mince and fry until golden brown, breaking the mince into smaller pieces with the wooden spoon.
   
   
3. Add the tomato puree, the tinned tomatoes and the red wine and cook for 30 min, stirring occasionally, until the lamb is tender and the sauce has thickened. 
   
   
   
4. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Set aside.
3. Prepare the white sauce: 
1. Butter, then flour, then milk. Keep whisking the white sauce until it is thick and then add half the parmesan and keep whisking until the cheese is melted and the sauce is thick.
   

   

   
2. Add nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste.
4. Assemble the moussaka:
1. Layer the aubergines at the bottom of an oven-proof dish.
   
   
   
2. Add 4tbsp of white sauce to the meat mixture to bring it together.
   

   
   
   
3. Pour the meat mixture on top of the aubergines and even out.
   
   
   
4. Pour the white sauce on top of the meat mixture and even out.
   
   
   
5. Top with the remaining parmesan cheese. At this point I forgot to take pictures and only remembered half way through eating the moussaka...
5. Bake in a 180°C oven for 35-45 min or until deep golden brown.
6. Allow the moussaka to cool down before cutting into pieces. If cut hot out of the oven, moussaka squares tend to slide apart and consequently the dish needs some resting time to firm up before serving.
   
7. I served it with roast potatoes and onion slices.