Moussaka

Moussaka

Cypriot version, pork and beef mince, 1 hr bake at 180°C, serves 8-10

Ingredients

Vegetables

aubergines          2 large (approx 700g)
potatoes            750g
courgettes          2 large (approx 500g)
olive oil           150g (for frying)
fine salt           for drawing out aubergine

Meat sauce

pork mince          500g
beef mince          500g
onions              2 large (approx 300g), finely chopped
garlic              3 cloves, crushed
passata             500ml
dry white wine      300ml
olive oil           30g
ground cinnamon     9g (3 tsp)
dried oregano       4g (1 tsp)
bay leaves          4
flat leaf parsley   15g, chopped
salt and pepper     to taste

Bechamel

full-fat milk       850ml
butter              120g
plain flour         125g
nutmeg              2g (1 tsp grated)
salt and pepper     to taste

Cypriot moussaka always uses pork, or a pork and beef mix. Lamb is the Greek mainland version. Cinnamon is essential and appears in larger quantities than the Greek version.
Halloumi or dried anari grated into the bechamel is traditional. Stir in 60g grated halloumi at the end of the bechamel if you want it.
The potato base is a Cypriot marker. Some village recipes also include courgettes as a layer; include or leave out as you like.

Recipe

1. Slice the aubergines into 1cm rounds. Lay on a rack, salt generously on both sides, and leave for 30 minutes. Rinse and pat dry.

Shortcut: the air fryer handles aubergine and courgette well. Brush slices with oil, air fry at 200°C for 10-12 minutes, flipping halfway. Less oil, no mess, and they come out even. Do the potatoes in the air fryer too at 200°C for 15 minutes. No need to deep fry.

2. Peel the potatoes and slice into 5mm rounds. Slice the courgettes into 5mm rounds. Heat olive oil in a large frying pan and fry the potato slices in batches until golden on both sides. Drain on kitchen paper. Repeat with the courgettes and aubergine.

3. For the meat sauce: heat 30g olive oil in a wide pan over medium heat. Fry the onions until soft and golden, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.

4. Add the mince. Break it up and cook until browned all over, about 8 minutes. Pour in the wine and let it bubble for 3-4 minutes.

5. Add the passata, cinnamon, oregano, bay leaves, and parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer uncovered on low heat for 20-25 minutes until the sauce is thick and the liquid has mostly gone.

6. Make the bechamel. Warm the milk in a small pan until just hot. In a separate pan melt the butter over medium heat, then add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes.

KitchenAid shortcut: make the bechamel in the stand mixer bowl over a bain-marie, or use a food processor. Add the warm roux to the food processor, drizzle in the milk with the motor running, then transfer back to the hob to thicken. Less whisking by hand.

7. Add the warm milk to the roux a ladleful at a time, whisking vigorously between each addition. Keep over medium heat. Once all the milk is in, whisk until the sauce thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Add nutmeg, season, and remove from heat.

8. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Assemble in a deep ovenproof dish (roughly 30x22cm). Layer in this order: all the potatoes, then the aubergine, then the courgette, then all the meat sauce. Finish with the bechamel poured evenly over the top.

9. Bake for 45-60 minutes until the top is a deep golden brown. Leave to cool for at least 15 minutes before cutting. It cuts cleanly when fully cooled.

Sources: Pomegranates and Princes (Liopetri village recipe), Yummy Cyprus.