Moussaka Me Lahanika

VEGETARIAN MOUSSAKA Serves 4-6

4 eggplants, cut into 1cm-thick slices

1/2 cup olive oil

4 large potatoes, cut into 1cm-thick slices

1 cup grated kefalotyri or parmesan cheese Green salad, to serve

MUSHROOM SAUCE

1 onion, grated

2 garlic cloves, crushed

200g diced mushrooms

2 cups tomato purée

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1 tsp ground cinnamon

BÉCHAMEL SAUCE

115g butter

115g plain flour

1L milk

1 egg

Pinch of ground nutmeg

Place the sliced eggplant in a colander, sprinkling each layer with a little salt to remove the bitterness. Let the eggplant drain while you fry the potatoes.

Heat half the oil in a large pan over a medium heat and fry the potato slices on both sides for 2 minutes on each side – enough to give a golden glow. Remove and put on paper towels to drain. Continue until all the potato is fried.

Wash the eggplant and squeeze out any excess liquid. Pat dry and, using the same frying pan, fry on both sides to soften. Add more oil if needed, as eggplant absorbs it quickly. Layer on paper towels until needed.

To prepare the mushroom sauce, pour the remaining olive oil into a saucepan and sauté the onion and garlic over a medium heat until translucent and soft. Add the diced mushrooms and continue cooking until they have softened, then pour in the tomato purée and mix well. Add the thyme, nutmeg and cinnamon and season well with salt and black pepper.

Reduce the heat and simmer over a medium heat for about 20 minutes. If it looks too dry, add a little water; if it looks too wet, cook with the lid off so some of the liquid can evaporate. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan forced). To make the béchamel sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan over a medium heat and add the flour, mixing well to combine. Be careful not to burn the flour – it should be only a little golden. Add the milk slowly and keep stirring until it resembles a thick sauce. Be patient with this step.

Once it has thickened, take it off the heat and add the egg, mixing vigorously to combine well. Add the nutmeg and season well with salt and black pepper. To assemble the moussaka, cover the base of a 25cm × 35cm baking dish with one ladle full of the mushroom sauce and top with a layer of potato, then a layer of eggplant.

Ladle the rest of the mushroom sauce over the eggplant and top with the remaining potatoes and finally with the rest of the eggplant slices.

Top with the béchamel sauce and smooth over with the back of a spoon. Sprinkle the cheese over and bake in the oven for 50-60 minutes, or until it is golden brown and bubbling around the edges. Serve warm with a green salad.