serves
4
prep
25 minutes
cook
1 hour
difficulty
Mid
serves
4
people
preparation
25
minutes
cooking
1
hour
difficulty
Mid
level
Ingredients
Moussaka crown
- 10-12 sheets filo pastry
- 115 g butter
Beef and lamb ragu
- 1½ tbsp olive oil
- 500 g beef mince (ground beef)
- 500 g lamb mince (ground lamb)
- ½ cup diced onion
- ½ tsp garlic
- 1 can (155 ml) tomato paste
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cup red wine
- 1 cup beef stock
- 2½ tbsp chopped parsley
- 3 tsp chopped thyme
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
Eggplant, zucchini and potatoes
- 45 ml (2 tbsp + 1 tsp) olive oil
- 1 medium eggplant, sliced into coins
- 1 medium zucchini, sliced into lengths
- 3 medium size Yukon gold potatoes, sliced into coins
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp dried oregano
Bechamel sauce
- 1½ cups milk
- 75 g cup butter
- ⅓ cup flour
- Pinch nutmeg
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 egg yolk
- ¼ cup grated saganaki cheese
Instructions
- For beef and lamb ragu: In a large Dutch oven heated to medium high, add the olive oil and heat (about 30 seconds). Add in the lamb and beef and brown, breaking the meat apart with a whisk or wooden spoon. Once browned, add in the onion and garlic and sauté (about 1-2 minutes). Next add all the spices and the bay leaf and stir to combine. Deglaze the pot with the red wine and reduce by half. Add the tomato paste and cook out (about 2 minutes) then add in the beef stock and reduce heat to medium low. Cook the meat mix until it is thick and very little liquid is left. Reserve for moussaka.
- For eggplant, zucchini and potatoes: In a large mixing bowl add the vegetables, all seasonings and oil. Toss to combine. Heat a grill pan to medium-high heat. Grill all vegetables and evenly with marks on both sides. The vegetables should be 80 per cent cooked when they come off the grill pan. Place vegetables on a baking tray lined with kitchen towel and set aside.
- For the bechamel sauce: In a medium-sized saucepan on medium heat, melt the butter, add the flour and mix to make a roux. In stages, add the milk and whisk to combine. Once all the milk is added, reduce temperature and season with salt and the nutmeg. Cook mixture out (about 2-3 minutes), then remove béchamel from the heat and finish with the cheese and the egg yolk. Place a piece of plastic wrap touching the béchamel to prevent a crust from forming. Reserve warm.
- To build: Pre-heat the oven to 190°C (375°F). In a 23 cm (9 inch) spring form pan, start to build a base of filo pastry on the bottom of the pan and the sides, brushing the filo lightly with butter as you build. When finished the pan should have a wall and solid base of buttered filo pastry. Note: allow some of the pastry to “ruffle” out of the top of the pan resembling the peaks of a crown.
- Evenly shingle the potato slices to cover the entire bottom of the pastry. Add the meat ragu and press with the back of a spoon to set in the ragu. Next cover the top of the ragu with the zucchini and eggplant. If you need to cut the vegetables to fit the corners evenly do so. Press down again with the back of a spoon to make a tight, even surface.
- Pour on the béchamel and smooth out evenly. Place the moussaka crown on a baking sheet and bake in the oven until the béchamel has set and the filo pastry is crisp (about 30 minutes). Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly before cutting. Enjoy.
Cook's Notes
Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.
