MY MOUSSAKA WITH LASAGNA SAUCE

I adore eggplant. I wanted to make a moussaka, but I don't like minced lamb. I find it too fatty and don't particularly enjoy the flavour. Instead, this is my interpretation of a delicious bolognese sauce from a lasagna recipe from Guy Grossi and the rest of the recipe is from Gordon Ramsay. It's just scrumptious!

INGREDIENTS
Sugo bolognese
olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/4 tsp ground cloves
pinch of nutmeg
250g minced beef
250g minced pork
250g minced chicken
1 sprig rosemary, leaves picked and chopped
1 Tbsp chopped sage
a handful of flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped
2 bay leaves
handful of basil leaves, crushed to a paste with a little olive oil
700ml tomato passata
250ml red wine
3/4 litre chicken stock
sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

2-3 large eggplants
olive oil for brushing
Cheese sauce
75g butter
75g plain flour
600ml whole milk
150g Cheddar, grated
2 medium eggs, beaten
50g grated pecorino

METHOD:
To make the sugo, heat the olive oil in a large and deep frypan over medium heat and sauté the onion, garlic, ground cloves and nutmeg for about 4-5 minutes until soft and lightly caramelised.

Add the meat and continue to cook, stirring, for 5 minutes. Put a bit of salt at the bottom of a mortar and add the basil. Pound with the pestle until it forms a paste. Add a bit of olive oil to the basil.

Add the herbs, including the basil paste, and continue to stir until the meat is well browned and broken up finely (about 5 minutes).

Pour in the wine and boil to reduce by half.

Add the tomato passata and cook for another 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly.

Add the stock and season with salt and pepper, if necessary.

Bring to the boil then reduce the heat and simmer gently for 1 hour, stirring occasionally and adding more stock if required.

In the meantime, preheat the oven to 180C, fan forced.

Cut the eggplant into 1 cm thick slices. Brush them generously with olive oil and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper.

Place on two oven trays, lined with baking paper and bake in the oven for about 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Make sure they are cooked - it's nothing worse than uncooked eggplant.

To make the sauce, melt the butter in a non-stick saucepan, add the flour and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, for a minute or two.

Lower the heat slightly and whisk in the milk, a little at a time. Allow to simmer gently for 8-10 minutes, then stir in 150g of the cheese and some seasoning.

Remove from the heat, leave to cool slightly, then beat in the eggs.

Turn the oven to 200°C.

Arrange a layer of eggplant slices in a deep 2 litre ovenproof dish, using a third of them.

Spoon half of the meat sauce over the eggplant layer.

Spoon over a third of the cheese sauce.

Repeat these layers, then cover with another layer of eggplant slices. Pour the remaining cheese sauce on top and sprinkle with the pecorino cheese.

Bake in the oven for 35-45 minutes until the top is golden brown and bubbling.

Let stand for 5 minutes or so before serving.

Serves 4-6

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