Baz's Moussaka

Similar to other recipes but including red wine and olives in the meat sauce.

• Ready In: 1 hr 45 mins
• Serves: 8

Ingredients

• Meat sauce

• 2  tablespoons olive oil
• 2  medium onions, finely chopped
• 2  garlic cloves, crushed
• 1  kg ground beef (or lamb)
• 2 (400 g) cans chopped tomatoes
• 1⁄2 cup red wine
• 3⁄4 cup  pitted kalamata olive, chopped (approx 175g)
• 1  teaspoon dried oregano
• 2  teaspoons dried basil
• 1  teaspoon ground cinnamon
•  salt (say, 1/2 teaspoon)

• Vegetables

• 600  g potatoes, peeled & sliced 3 mm thick
• 1 1⁄4 kg eggplants

• Breadcrumb and cheese mix

• 3⁄4 cup  breadcrumbs
• 3⁄4 cup  grated parmesan cheese
• 3⁄4 cup  grated tasty cheddar cheese

• Bechamel Sauce

• 70  g butter
• 3  tablespoons plain flour
• 2  cups  hot milk
• 2  eggs, lightly beaten
• 1⁄2 teaspoon nutmeg (optional)
• 1⁄2 cup  kefalograviera cheese, grated (or, if unavailable, 1/2 cup parmesan cheese)

Directions

1. Turn the oven on to 180°C . In large fry pan or wok heat the olive oil over medium heat and gently saute the onion and garlic for 5 minutes.
2. Add the ground beef and cook until lightly brown, breaking up the lumps as you go.
3. Add tinned tomatoes, red wine, olives, oregano, basil, cinnamon and salt (if using). Stir, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. (If it is too runny at the end, remove lid and reduce 'til desired consistency.).
4. While sauce simmers, oil the bottom of 30cm x 20cm lasagna dish and line with overlapping potato slices. Spray potatoes with olive oil and put into preheated oven for 25 minutes.
5. Peel some strips off the eggplant long-wise with a vegetable peeler and cut across into 6 mm (1/4 inch) slices.
6. Cook the eggplant slices in batches - spray with olive oil and cook either under the grill, or in a fry pan until brown. Turn and repeat.
7. While the cooking the eggplant slices, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Mix in the flour and stir quickly and cook until smooth (about 2 minutes). Remove from heat.
8. Slowly add hot milk to the saucepan, stirring quickly and return it to the heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until thick and bubbly, approximately 5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
9. Remove dish with potatoes from the oven when cooked and put a layer of eggplant slices over the potatoes, using half the eggplant slices. Sprinkle with about 1/4 of the breadcrumb/cheese mix (about 1/2 a cup).
10. Spread half the meat sauce over, followed by the rest of the eggplant slices. Sprinkle with another 1/2 cup of the breadcrumb/cheese mix.
11. Spread the rest of the meat sauce over, followed by the rest of the breadcrumb/cheese mix.
12. Add the lightly beaten eggs, nutmeg (if using) and kefalograviera cheese to the Bechamel sauce mixture and whisk until smooth & fluffy, then top the moussaka with the Bechamel sauce.
13. Bake in the oven at 180C for 45 minutes or until golden brown on top.