The first time I tried a moussaka was on a flight to Canada - needless to say, it wasn't the finest of introductions! Since then, however, it has worked its way into my recipe book of classics. I actually blogged this recipe about a year ago but wanted to share it with y'all again, seeing as its so tasty and all that!
A few things to keep in mind - first, a moussaka is a labor of love... it aint a quick meal to through together! I save this for an afternoon where I don't have much on, so I can make it in plenty of time for dinner. It takes about an hour to do all the prep (the four stages; aubergines, potatoes, mince, and bechamel sauce) and then about thirty minutes to cook in the oven.
Second, you'll need a nice deep dish. I like this round ceramic casserole dish (TK Maxx) - the round shape makes it perfect for the circular shape of the aubergines and potatoes. Its a bit like a lasagne, where you stack all the layers up. The aubergines and potatoes are obviously thicker than the pasta sheets you use in a lasagne though, so you'll need something suitably deep. And finally, much like lasagne, moussaka isn't a looker. Once served it doesn't look particularly attractive but I can guarantee you it tastes a million times better than you'd expect! The bechamel sauce sets like a fourth firm layer, delicious.Best of all - as this has everything hidden away inside it, you only need to serve with steamed green veg. We usually go for tenderstem or purple sprouting brocolli. You can find the original blog post and recipe here. Enjoy!
