Moussaka (v) Recipe

Preheat and slice

Preheat oven to 200°C (392°F). Wash all vegetables. Peel the potatoes and carrots. Slice the potatoes into 3-4 mm (1/8–1/6 in) rounds; place in a bowl of cold water to remove excess starch. Slice aubergines and courgettes lengthwise or into 5 mm (about 1/5 in) rounds. Core, deseed and slice the mixed peppers into strips. Thinly slice the carrots (3–4 mm).

Par-cook potatoes

Drain the potato slices and pat dry. Place in a single layer on a baking tray, brush lightly with 1 tbs olive oil, sprinkle 0.5 tsp salt and 0.25 tsp black pepper. Roast in the oven for 15–20 minutes until just tender and edges begin to colour. Remove and set aside.

Prepare aubergine and courgettes

Salt the aubergine slices lightly and let sit for 10 minutes to draw bitterness, then rinse and pat dry. Heat 2 tbs olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Working in batches, fry aubergine slices 2–3 minutes per side until golden and softened. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towel. Using the same pan, add a little more oil if needed and pan-fry courgette slices 1–2 minutes per side until lightly browned. Transfer to paper towel-lined plate.

Cook peppers and carrots

In the same pan, add remaining 1 tbs olive oil and sauté the pepper strips and carrot slices over medium heat for 5–7 minutes until peppers are softened and carrots are tender-crisp. Season with 0.25 tsp salt and 0.25 tsp black pepper. Remove from heat.

Heat 1 tbs olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the finely chopped onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, 5–7 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook 30–60 seconds until fragrant.

Add the canned chopped tomatoes and tomato paste, stir to combine. Add dried oregano, dried basil, sugar, 0.5 tsp salt and 0.25 tsp black pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer, reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 12–15 minutes until slightly thickened. Taste and adjust seasoning. Keep warm.

In a medium saucepan, melt 50 g butter over medium heat. Whisk in 50 g flour and cook for 1–2 minutes to form a roux, stirring constantly to avoid browning.

Gradually pour in 700 ml cold or lukewarm milk in a steady stream, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Bring to a gentle simmer, stirring, and cook for 6–8 minutes until thickened to a coating consistency (should coat the back of a spoon).

Remove from heat. Stir in 0.25 tsp grated nutmeg, 0.75 tsp salt and 0.25 tsp black pepper. If using, temper the optional egg by whisking it in a small bowl and stirring a ladle of hot béchamel into the egg, then whisk the egg mixture back into the béchamel. Stir in 40 g of the grated Parmesan (reserve 10 g for topping). Taste and adjust seasoning.

Reduce oven to 180°C (356°F). Lightly grease a 20 x 30 cm (8 x 12 in) baking dish with olive oil or butter.

Spread about 1 cup (approx. 240 ml) of the tomato sauce evenly over the base of the baking dish.

Arrange a single layer of roasted potato slices over the tomato sauce, slightly overlapping. Spoon a few tablespoons of tomato sauce over the potatoes.

Add a layer of half the aubergine slices, followed by a layer of half the courgette slices. Spoon 3–4 tbs tomato sauce over these vegetables.

Add a layer of the sautéed pepper and carrot mixture, distributing evenly. Add another light layer of potato slices if desired and spoon remaining tomato sauce across the layers to ensure moisture.

Pour the prepared béchamel sauce evenly over the assembled vegetable layers, smoothing the top with a spatula. Sprinkle the reserved 10 g grated Parmesan over the béchamel.

Bake in the preheated 180°C oven for 35–40 minutes until the top is set and golden brown. If the top browns too quickly, cover loosely with foil for the last 10–15 minutes.

Remove from oven and let rest 10–15 minutes before serving to allow the moussaka to set.

Cut into squares and garnish with chopped fresh parsley. Serve warm with a simple green salad or crusty bread.