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Meatless moussaka
Serves 4 Starters and mains
Ingredients
- olive oil, for frying
- 300g waxy potatoes
- 2 aubergines
- 2 courgettes
- few pinches Greek dried oregano
- 25g grated vegetarian Italian hard cheese
For the vegetable ragù
- 1kg mushrooms, diced
- 1 medium white onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 150g precooked brown lentils
- 3tbsp tomato purée
- handful flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped
- 1⁄2tbsp ground cinnamon
- 12 grates nutmeg
- 1tbsp dried Greek oregano
- 1tsp soft dark brown sugar
For the béchamel sauce
- 75g unsalted butter
- 75g plus 1tbsp plain flour
- 600ml whole milk
Method
Preheat the oven to 200C/180C F/Gas 6. Peel the potatoes and cut them into 5mm-thick slices. Cut the aubergines and courgettes into 1cm-thick slice.
Line a tray with kitchen paper. Heat a splash of oil in a large frying pan set over a medium heat. Add the potato, aubergine and courgette slices in batches and fry until golden and just cooked through, then transfer to the kitchen paper- lined tray to drain. Arrange a layer of potato slices in a 30cm x 20cm ovenproof baking dish and season with a pinch of oregano and a few grinds of black pepper. Repeat with a layer of aubergine and, finally, courgette, again adding oregano and seasoning between each layer.
To make the ragù, add a little oil to a medium saucepan and set over a high heat. Add the mushrooms and fry for around 15 minutes, stirring occasionally; you want these deeply caramel coloured.
Turn down the heat and add the onion and cook through for another 5 minutes until it has softened and coloured. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, then add the lentils, tomato purée, parsley, cinnamon, nutmeg, oregano and sugar. Add around 60ml water and simmer, uncovered, for 10-15 minutes, until the ragù is rich and thick. Spoon this over the layered vegetables, levelling the surface with the back of the spoon.
To make the béchamel sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan set over a low-medium continuously until a paste forms and cook this for 2 minutes. Add the milk to the pan gradually, whisking as you go, until the sauce has thickened and is smooth. Season generously with salt and pepper.
Gently pour the sauce over the ragù layer, again smoothing out the surface with the back of a spoon. Scatter the grated cheese over the top and cook in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Leave to rest for 15 minutes before serving with a simply dressed green salad.
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