Lamb Moussaka with Golden Top

Ingredients

• 2 large aubergines, sliced 1cm thick
• Salt & black pepper, to taste
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 700g lamb mince
• 400g chopped tomatoes (tin)
• 1 tbsp tomato purée
• 2 onions, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 100ml red wine (optional)
• 1 egg, beaten
• 40g plain flour
• 600ml milk (warmed)
• 50g unsalted butter
• 75g Parmesan, grated
• Crusty sourdough bread, to serve
• Dressed green salad, to serve
• Fresh parsley, to serve

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C (fan 200°C). Brush the aubergine slices generously with olive oil, season well with salt and pepper on both sides, and lay them out on a tray in a single layer — overlapping slices steam instead of charring. Roast for 15–20 minutes until soft and bronzed at the edges. The high heat drives off the bitter raw note and concentrates the flesh into something almost meaty.
2. While the aubergines roast, warm a glug of olive oil in a large heavy pan over medium heat and sweat the onions for about 8 minutes, until translucent and just catching gold at the edges. Push them to the side, turn the heat up, and brown the lamb mince in two batches — all at once and the pan crowds, water comes out, and you've boiled the meat instead of browning it. Each batch wants 5–6 minutes until deeply caramelised with proper dark stuck bits on the base.
3. Return all the lamb to the pan, stir in the crushed garlic and cook for 30 seconds, just until fragrant — burnt garlic turns the whole ragu bitter, so watch it. Add the tomato purée and let it darken against the pan for a minute, then pour in the red wine (if using) to lift the fond, scraping the brown stuck bits up into the sauce.
4. Tip in the chopped tomatoes with a good splash of water to loosen — the liquid breaks the tomatoes down so they taste of summer fruit, not tin. Stir through the oregano and cinnamon, season generously, and simmer gently uncovered for 25–30 minutes until the ragu is thick and glossy with no loose liquid pooling at the edges. Taste, season, taste again — adjust now, not at the table.
5. For the béchamel, melt the butter in a saucepan, whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute until it smells faintly biscuity — this cooks out the raw flour taste. Gradually whisk in the warm milk a ladle at a time, then simmer for 5–6 minutes, stirring, until thick and velvety enough to coat the back of a spoon. Off the heat, whisk in half the Parmesan, a good pinch of salt, and the beaten egg — adding the egg off the heat stops it scrambling.
6. Layer a deep 23x30cm dish with a third of the aubergines, then half the ragu; repeat, then finish with a final aubergine layer. Pour the béchamel over evenly, smooth the surface with the back of a spoon and scatter the remaining Parmesan over the top.
7. Bake at 200°C (fan 180°C) for 30–35 minutes until the top is deeply golden and faintly bubbling at the edges. Rest for 15 minutes before cutting — slice too soon and the layers slump.
8. Cut into generous squares, plate each with a crisp green salad or lemony greens alongside, scatter chopped parsley over the top, and bring the lemon wedges to the table for squeezing — the acid cuts straight through the richness of the béchamel.