A classic combination: lamb and aubergines marry very well with creamy béchamel and lashings of Parmesan for the ultimate in comfort food.
TO DRINK: Add freshness with the violet aroma and hints of berries in Waterkloof Peacock Ridge Merlot 2006
Organic Karoo lamb moussaka
Ingredients
- 130ml olive oil
- 750g organic Karoo lamb mince
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 x 410g tin whole tomatoes, chopped
- 180ml white wine
- 200ml beef stock
- 10ml ground nutmeg
- 150ml fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 4 large aubergines, sliced lengthwise into 1cm slices
- BÉCHAMEL
- 750ml milk
- 3 bay leaves
- 6 black peppercorns
- 1 onion, diced
- 80g butter
- 80ml cake flour
- 80ml Parmesan, freshly grated
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 180°C and lightly grease a 26cm x 20cm baking dish.
Heat 30ml of the oil in a heavy-based pot. Fry the mince over a high heat until it is just cooked through. Remove from the pot.
Sauté the onion in the pot until it is translucent. Add the garlic and return the mince to the pot.
Add the tomatoes, wine, stock, nutmeg and parsley, and season to taste. Let it simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 30 – 40 minutes. Check the seasoning and set aside until needed.
Arrange the aubergine slices in a single layer on a baking sheet. Brush both sides with the remaining olive oil and bake until golden on both sides, about 15 minutes.
For the béchamel, heat the milk, bay leaves, peppercorns and onion to just below boiling point. Remove from the heat and let it steep for about 10 minutes. Strain, discarding the onion and bay leaves.
Melt the butter in a pot, add the flour and stir for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and stir in the milk. Return to the heat and bring to the boil, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat, add 50ml of the Parmesan and season.
To assemble, spread a thin layer of béchamel in the baking dish. Spread a thin layer of the mince mixture on top. Place a layer of aubergines on top of the mince. Repeat. Pour the remaining béchamel over the top, sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan and bake for 30 minutes. Serve with salad.