Recipe courtesy of Five Sisters
Greek Beef Moussaka
Ingredients
1 brown onion chopped
1 can tomatoes
1kg beef mince
2 tbs tomato paste
1kg white potatoes
2 large eggplants
2 zucchinis sliced
1 tbs Italian herbs
Bechamel Sauce
2 tsp butter
4 tbs plain flour
2 litres of milk
2 egg yolks salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp cinnamon
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Wash all vegetables. Thinly slice zucchini and eggplants 1mm in thickness. Place eggplant in a bowl with water for half an hour and add salt. This will remove the bitterness. In a large saucepan, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and brown the mince, removing clumps. Add herbsand once browned add can of tomatoes and tomato paste and allow the mixture to simmer. Season. Simmer for a good 15 minutes but don’t let the sauce evaporate. In a separate frying pan, add olive oil and bring to heat while you add your eggplant and zucchini until they brown on each side. Once browned take these out and place them on a paper towel to absorb the oil.
Bechamel Sauce
In a large pot, melt butter. Add flour and stir mixture together until all the butter is absorbed. Add little bits of milk at a time, ensuring all the clumps are mixed through before continuing. Take off the heat and add the egg yolks and season. The sauce shouldn’t be too runny. If it is too runny, simmer longer.
Finally brush large baking dish with olive oil. Carefully place the eggplant slices one next to another until the bottom is covered and then spread with a layer of mince meat and then repeat layering with zucchini. Continue process till you run out of both vegetables and mince. If you would like to add flavour, sprinkle a handful of grated cheese over the beef. Finally, add the béchamel sauce over the top and add another handful of grated cheese over the top. Cook for roughly 30 mins or until golden on top.