Lamb & Sweet Potato Moussaka
A great sharing dish from the Greek islands, this traditional meal contains generous layers of griddled aubergine, lamb mince coated in the beautiful blend of aromatic spices and sliced potato all topped off with a creamy white sauce baked until golden and crisp. A slight divergence from the using traditional white potato, our recipe uses sweet potato that cooks a little quicker and adds a nice, sweet element to the dish.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp oil for frying
- 1 large red onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1kg lamb mince
- 1 tbsp dried mixed herbs
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp mild curry powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tbsp tomato chutney
- 400g tinned chopped tomatoes
- 400g sweet potato, thinly sliced lengthways into 1/2cm slices
- 400g aubergine, thinly sliced lengthways into 1/2cm slices
- Sea salt & cracked black pepper
For the white sauce
- 100g salted butter
- 100g plain flour
- 800ml milk
- 2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 egg
- Sea salt & cracked black pepper
- 50g Cheddar Cheese, grated
Method
- Preheat the oven to 200°C / 180°C Fan / Gas Mark 6.
- Place the roaster on the hob over a medium heat, add the oil and heat gently. Add the onion and fry for 5 minutes until it starts to soften, then add the garlic to the pan and fry for a further 1 minute.
- Add the mince to the pan and fry until the it has browned - use a spatula to break up the mince whilst frying. Sprinkle in the herbs, cinnamon, paprika, curry powder, and cumin, coating the mince in all the spices. After, begin stirring through the tomato chutney.
- Pour in the chopped tomatoes and once mixed with the mince, refill the empty can with water and add to the pan. Stir all the ingredients together before allowing to simmer over a medium low heat for 30 minutes until the liquid has reduced leaving a thick mince sauce.
- In the meantime, place the sweet potato slices in salted boiling water and boil for 5 minutes to just slightly soften. Drain and set aside.
- Lay the aubergine slices on a roasting tray and sprinkle with a little oil. Place under a hot grill until the slices start to char. Set aside with the potato until ready to assemble.
- Finally, make the white sauce. First make a roux by melting the butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan, adding the flour, and mixing thoroughly. Cook, stirring continuously, over a low to medium heat for approximately 2 minutes.
- Gradually add the milk in stages. Stir continuously as the roux absorbs the liquid at each addition to create a smooth, glossy sauce. Once all the milk is incorporated, sprinkle in the nutmeg and whisk in the egg, taking the sauce off the heat. Season with salt and pepper.
- To assemble the moussaka, smooth the mince evenly on the bottom of the roaster. First layer on the grilled aubergine, followed by a layer of sweet potato slices. Finally, pour over the sauce and finish with the grated cheese. Bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes until golden and crispy on top.
- Once cooked, take the moussaka out of the oven, and allow to sit for 5 minutes to firm up. Serve with a fresh Greek salad.
Cook's notes
If you do not have any sweet potato, simply use white baking potatoes and just cook for 3-5 minutes longer when blanching.
For those who do not like lamb, this recipe can work with any minced meat. Although not as traditional, it works well with pork, turkey, or beef mince.
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