Moussaka

 How can a moose have a blog without Moussaka? What was I thinking? 

Shock revelation: some types of moussaka don't have aubergine in them. WHAT. In fact, some types don't have potato. Don't ask me why. That's what I hear. Well, you won't get any of that nonsense round here. My moussaka has 1) mince 2) aubergine 3) potatoes 4) egg sauce, and sneakily 5) a bit of cheese. Obviously, it's the best. 

Your layers will be as follows: 

The mince. Lamb is great. With rosemary and garlic, and tomato. Last one I made, I did the cook-the-mince-with-milk trick (add about half a cup of milk to 1kg ish mince) and it really made it super-soft. Once the milk is reduced (and the onions all softy softy, the herbs all melded) add tomato (passata or a can of diced) and reduce that. Make sure it's heavily seasoned. 

The potatoes. Cook whole (peeled) in very salty water, don't overcook. Slice when cool. Not too thick, not too thin. Comfortable.

The aubergine. I spent years frying these but 1) it makes the kitchen smoky and 2) they get really oily. Now I lay them out on spray-oiled foil in the oven and bake them. Sliced and left heavily salted first for at least an hour, then patted dry with paper towels. Hint: I have never, ever, had too many aubergine slices. 

The sauce. You only need it for the top, so not as much as you would for a similar sized lasagne. Plus, make it runnier, because you'll add a couple of eggs. Season within an inch of its life, nutmeg and pepper it. 

Layering order. Mince, potatoes, aubergine, mince, aubergine, sneaky sprinkling of grated cheese, white sauce. Oven. 45 mins. 

Let the feasting begin.