Georgina Hayden’s mouthwatering Mediterranean moussaka
It might be chilly outside, but it’s a Mediterranean paradise in the This Morning studio! Greek-Cypriot chef Georgina Hayden’s is back in the kitchen with her delicious moussaka. Baked with layers of minced beef, pork and potatoes and topped with cheese, her take on a traditional greek dish is comfort food at its best.
Moussaka
Serves: 6-8
Ingredients
700g potatoes4 aubergines2 courgettesOlive oil3 onions4 garlic cloves2 tsp ground cinnamon1½ tsp dried oregano600g mince of your choice (Georgina uses a mixture of beef and pork)2 tbsp tomato purée200ml red wine40um passata1 bay leaf1 stick of cinnamon Sea salt and freshly ground1L milk100g butter125g plain flour1 tsp baking powder100g Pecorino or Kefalotyri cheeseNutmeg, for grating3 eggs
Method
1. Preheat your oven to 180°C/ gas mark 4. Peel the potatoes. Slice some of the aubergine skin off in strips. Then slice the potatoes, aubergine and courgettes into ½cm rounds.
2. Lay them all out onto a couple of baking or roasting trays and brush with 2 tbsp olive oil. Season and roast in the oven for 30 minutes, until golden. Remove and set aside.
3. Meanwhile, peel and finely chop the onions and garlic. Pour a couple of tablespoons of olive oil into a large saucepan over a medium-low heat.
4. Sauté the onions and garlic for 10 minutes, until starting to soften. Add the ground cinnamon, oregano and all the mince. Break everything up with a wooden spoon and turn the heat up a little. Fry until any liquid evaporates and it starts to turn lightly brown.
5. Add in the purée followed by the wine and bring to the boil. Leave to rapidly simmer for 5 minutes, until the wine has reduced by more than half, then stir in the passata, bay leaf and cinnamon stick.
6. Season generously, bring to the boil then reduce to a simmer and cook on a low heat for 30 minutes, until thickened and reduced.
7. Meanwhile, heat the milk in a small pan.
8. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over a medium heat and stir in the flour and baking powder. Once they have formed a paste, slowly start to whisk in the warmed milk, until you have smooth white sauce. Leave it to thicken over a low heat until it coats the back of a spoon.
9. Grate in half of the cheese and a generous amount of nutmeg then season to taste.
10. In a large roasting tray, approximately 25 x 30 cm in size, layer a third of the baked veg into the base of the tray and then spoon over half of the mince. Repeat with half the remaining veg, the rest of the mince and then the last of the baked vegetables. Finally, whisk the eggs into the white sauce and pour over the moussaka. Grate over the remaining cheese and place the dish in the oven.
11. Bake for 45 minutes, or until the top is golden and bubbling and everything is cooked through. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for at least 20 minutes before serving.