Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 large aubergines, sliced
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 teaspoon oregano, fresh is best but if not
available, dried - 500g/1.1lb minced lamb
- 1 x 450g/1lb tin chopped tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon tomato purée
- 150ml/5 fl oz red wine
- Small bunch of flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- 100g/3.5oz feta cheese, broken up into little pieces
- 500ml/17oz milk
- 60g/3 tablespoons butter
- 60g/3 tablespoons plain flour
- 2 eggs, beaten
- Freshly grated nutmeg
Directions
- Pre-heat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas mark 4. Cut the aubergines widthways into 0.5cm slices, and put them onto oiled baking sheets. Brush with olive oil and season. Bake for about 25 minutes until soft, golden and floppy. It’s important to season and roast these well.
- Meanwhile, put two tablespoons of olive oil into a large frying pan over a medium high heat and cook the onion until soft. Add the garlic, cinnamon, allspice and oregano and cook for a further couple of minutes, then stir in the lamb. Turn up the heat slightly, and brown the lamb well, cooking until the mixture is quite dry.
- Stir in the chopped tomatoes, tomato purée and wine, bring to a simmer, then turn the heat down low and cook for 30–40 minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated. Season and stir in the parsley.
- Meanwhile, make the bechamel. Bring the milk to just below boiling point, and melt the butter in another saucepan. Stir the flour into the butter and cook for a couple of minutes, then gradually whisk in the hot milk. Cook until you have a thick sauce. Take off the heat and allow to cool slightly, then beat in the eggs, salt to taste and slightly more nutmeg than you might think wise (it’s a strong flavour, but you need a heft of it in this dish I think – half a teaspoon at least).
- Arrange a third of the aubergines in the base of an oven dish, and top with half the meat. Repeat these layers, then finish off with a layer of aubergine, and top with the sauce. Sprinkle the crumbled feta on top.
- Bake for about 45 minutes until well browned, and then leave to cool and set for 15 minutes before serving or better still cook for 30 minutes, allow to cool, then refrigerate and reheat and serve the following day.
Recipe credit: Eunice Power
Photography credit: Harry Weir
Tips
"The lamb needs to be good quality, otherwise the aubergine layer turns into a sponge for all the fat. The dish is best prepared and cooked the day before, allowing the flavours to infuse and then reheat the next day. It also freezes well."
