Lamb, Tomato & Aubergine Bake

Ingredients

• 2 aubergines, sliced 1cm thick
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 500g minced lamb
• 400g tinned chopped tomatoes
• 1 tbsp tomato purée
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 50g fresh breadcrumbs
• pinch of black pepper
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 150g mature cheddar, grated
• Rocket and seed salad, to serve
• Fresh parsley, to serve

Method

1. Salt the aubergine slices generously and leave to sweat in a colander for 15 minutes, then pat dry thoroughly. Water means steam, and steam means waterlogged aubergine instead of silky roasted flesh.
2. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Brush the slices with olive oil, lay them in a single layer on a tray (crowd them and they steam), and roast for 10–12 minutes until tender and bronzed at the edges. Set aside.
3. Heat a splash of oil in a heavy stainless or cast iron pan over medium heat and soften the onion until translucent and just starting to catch at the edges, about 8 minutes. Add the crushed garlic and stir for 30 seconds, just until fragrant — burnt garlic turns the whole ragu bitter, so watch it.
4. Season the lamb mince well with salt and pepper, then push the onions to one side and brown the lamb in two batches over a hard heat. All at once and the pan crowds, water comes out, and you've boiled the meat instead of caramelising it. You want dark, sticky patches on the base of the pan — that's the depth.
5. Stir in the tomato purée and let it cook out for a minute against the hot pan. Tip in the chopped tomatoes with a splash of water, scraping up every stuck bit from the base — that fond is the backbone of the sauce. Add the oregano, cinnamon, Worcestershire sauce and a pinch of black pepper.
6. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes until thick and glossy and the sauce clings to the meat. Taste, season, taste again — adjust the salt now, not at the table. The cinnamon should hum in the background, not announce itself.
7. Spread a little ragu across the base of a baking dish, lay the roasted aubergine over in overlapping rows, then spoon the remaining ragu evenly on top. Scatter the grated cheddar and breadcrumbs across the surface and finish with a drizzle of olive oil — the oil is what crisps the crumb into proper crunch rather than dry dust.
8. Bake for 25–30 minutes until the topping is deep gold and bubbling and the sauce is sizzling at the edges. Rest for 10 minutes so the bake sets and slices cleanly.
9. Spoon onto plates, squeeze a lemon wedge over each portion to cut the richness, scatter the torn parsley or mint across the top, and bring the green salad to the table alongside.