Moussaka

Like all great food, Moussaka brings people together, and in my family, celebrations have always revolved around a table of food including this classic Greek dish. ​Big ​trays of moussaka, meat, pita and sweets, like baklava. They would be cooking for days in preparation ­to cater for a familial army.

Mum and Yaya taught me the basics of cooking. Their recipe for moussaka always yielded a HUGE tray which fed the whole family for days, and when the winter months arrive, I still turn to moussaka as a comfort food. This version is scaled down a bit though, as my fridge can only accommodate so much!

Method

Pop a medium saucepan over a low­ medium heat. Add oil, onion and garlic and cook until soft. Add minced meat and cook, stirring and breaking up the meat with a spoon. Cook until meat is sticking to the bottom on the saucepan.

Add all remaining ingredients for the meat sauce, stir and reduce heat to low, simmer covered for 30 minutes (add a little water if it’s too dry), while you make everything else.

Brush eggplant with olive oil, heat a pan (or griddle) and cook on each side until browned on both sides.

Preheat oven to 180 ​degrees celsius.

Brush 4 x 140mm round oven-safe ramekins with olive oil. Cover base of ramekins with eggplant, overlapping slightly. Then add meat sauce. Pour over meat sauce, if it’s thick, spread it over using your spoon, being careful not.

To make the white sauce. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over a medium heat, add flour, reduce heat and stir for a minute. Add milk and stir until thick. Add cheese, nutmeg and season, stirring for a minute until the cheese is melted. Pour this on top of each individual moussaka.

Bake for 30­-40 minutes until golden brown. Serve them piping hot (no need to let these guys set because they’re in they’re own ramekins!).