Moussaka

Ingredients:

• 30ml/2 tbsp olive oil
• 30ml/2tbsp chopped fresh oregano
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 675g/1.5lb lean lamb, minced (ground)
• 1 large aubergine (eggplant) sliced
• 2 400g/14oz cans chopped tomatoes
• 45ml/3 tbsp tomato puree (paste)
• 1 lamb stock cube, crumbled
• 2 floury main crop potatoes, halved
• 115g/4oz/1 cup chedder cheese, grated
• 150ml/.25 pint/ 2/3 cup single (light) cream
• Salt and ground black pepper
• Fresh bread, to serve

How to Prepare:
1. Preheat oven to 180 C/350 F/Gas 4. Heat the olive oil in a large deep-sided frying pan. Fry the oregano and onions over a low heat, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes or until the onions have softened.

2. Stir in the lamb and cook for 10 minutes until browned. Meanwhile, grill the aubergine slices for 5 minutes until browned, turning once.

3. Stir the tomatoes and puree into the mince mixture, and crumble the stock cube over it, stir well, season with salt and pepper and simmer uncovered for a further 15 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, cook the potatoes in lightly salted boiling water for 5-10 minutes until just tender. Drain, and when cool enough to handle, cut into thin slices.

5. Layer the aubergine, mince and potatos in a 1.75 litre/3 pint/7.5 cup oval ovenproof dish, finishing with a layer of potatoes.

6. Mix the cheese and cream together in a bowl and pour over the top of the other ingredients in the dish. Cook for 45-50 minutes until bubbling and golden on the top. Serve straight from the dish, while hot, with plenty of fresh, crusty bread.

Tips: I added a whole bunch of garlic to this, and put in about 4 oz of crumbled feta between the layers. I also couldn't find a lamb stock cube, so I replaced it with vegetable stock cubes instead.