Moussaka is a great dish to make in the winter and this version using potato offers an alternative for those who aren’t keen on eggplant.
Serves
Four to six
Ingredients
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves of garlic, crushed
- 800g minced lamb
- A generous splash of red wine
- 400g tin chopped tomatoes
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 bay leaf
- Handful of fresh oregano, chopped
- 3 large potatoes, peeled, sliced
- Salt and pepper to taste
For the sauce
- 75g butter
- 75g flour
- 550ml milk
- 50g Parmesan cheese, grated
- 2 eggs, beaten
Method
Heat some olive oil in a frying pan and lightly brown the onions and garlic. Add the lamb and fry for three to four minutes. Next, add the wine, tomatoes, cinnamon, oregano and bay leaf and simmer on a low heat for 40 minutes.
While meat sauce is simmering, parboil the potato slices. Drain and set aside.
About 20 minutes before the meat sauce is ready, make the cheese sauce by melting the butter in a non-stick pan, then add the flour and stir over a medium heat for about one minute. Gradually add the milk, stirring continually. As sauce starts to thicken, you may wish to use a whisk to stir. Leave to simmer on a very low heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the cheese and season to taste. Remove from heat and allow to cool, then beat in the eggs.
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees celsius. Remove the cinnamon stick and bay leaf and season the meat sauce to taste. In an ovenproof dish, alternately layer the potato and meat sauce until all used. Pour over the cheese sauce, sprinkling a little extra cheese on top and bake for approximately 30 minutes.
Slice and serve.
NB: Freeze portion-size serves for a quick meal when you can’t be bothered cooking.