Lamb Moussaka with Gluten-Free Bechamel

About this recipe

Moussaka is a project, not a weeknight dinner, and the two things people get wrong are watery aubergines and a thin sauce. Roasting the aubergine rather than frying it solves the first, and a cornflour bechamel finished with egg yolk solves the second - it sets into a genuine custard-like top rather than sliding off.

Ingredients

• 3 medium auberginessliced 1cm thick
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tsp fine sea salt
• 80 g kefalotyri cheesefinely grated
• 2 eggs large free-range eggsyolks only
• 0.5 tsp ground nutmeg
• 750 ml whole milk
• 55 g cornflour
• 60 g unsalted butter
• 500 g floury maris piper potatoessliced 5mm thick
• 200 ml gluten-free lamb stock
• 150 ml red wine
• 400 g tinned chopped tomatoes
• 2 tbsp tomato puree
• 0.5 tsp ground allspice
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 1.5 tsp ground cinnamon
• 4 cloves garlic clovescrushed
• 2 medium onionfinely chopped
• 750 g lamb mince
• 6 tbsp olive oil

Method

1. 1

   Heat the oven to 200C fan. Lay the aubergine slices on two baking trays, brush both sides with 4 tbsp of the oil and season with 1 tsp of the salt. Roast for 25 minutes, turning once, until soft and browned. Set aside.

2. 2

   Meanwhile, boil the potato slices in salted water for 6 minutes until just tender, then drain carefully and leave to steam dry.

3. 3

   Heat the remaining oil in a large pan and brown the lamb mince hard over a high heat for 8 minutes, breaking it up but letting it catch and colour. Tip off any excess fat.

4. 4

   Add the onions and cook for 8 minutes, then the garlic, cinnamon, oregano and allspice for a minute. Stir in the tomato puree and cook until it darkens.

5. 5

   Pour in the wine and let it reduce by half, then add the tomatoes, stock, 1 tsp salt and half the pepper. Simmer uncovered for 30 minutes until thick enough to hold a line when you drag a spoon through it.

   A wet ragu is the main cause of a soggy moussaka. Keep going until it looks almost too dry.

6. 6