Aubergine moussaka rolls
Moussaka is a labour of love which is totally worth it when you have the time. When you don’t, however, these rolls are the answer. Transforming the big layered oven-baked dish into a slightly lighter snackable affair, this recipe is great for bringing to a friend’s house as it just needs a quick blast under the grill before serving
Ingreadient
- Olive oil for brushing and frying
- 1 red onion, finely chopped
- 250g lamb mince
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 1 tbsp tomato purée
- 100ml red wine
- 227g tin chopped tomatoes
- Pinch ground cinnamon
- 2 large aubergines
- 30g unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp plain flour
- 350ml whole milk
- 1 medium free-range egg yolk, lightly beaten
- Freshly grated nutmeg to serve
- 15g parmesan or other hard cheese, finely grated
Instruction
- Heat a large pan over a medium-high heat and add a little oil. Add the onion with a pinch of salt and fry until softened and light golden. Stir in the mince, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. After a few minutes, once it’s started to brown, add the garlic and tomato purée and cook for another minute or so.
- Pour in the wine and bubble for a few minutes until reduced to almost nothing, then add the chopped tomatoes and cinnamon. Bring to a simmer and bubble for at least 30 minutes, stirring regularly, until the sauce has reduced so it just coats the meat.
- Meanwhile, cut the aubergines lengthways into 5mm thick slices. Heat a griddle pan over a high heat, brush the slices with a little oil and cook for a few minutes on each side, until lightly charred. You’ll need to do this in batches. Lay the slices on a tray or board.
- For the bechamel, heat the butter in a medium pan. Once melted, stir in the flour and cook for a few minutes. Gradually add the milk, stirring continuously to make a creamy sauce. Once it’s all combined, gently cook for 5 minutes over a medium heat to thicken. Remove from the heat, stir in the egg yolk, grate over some nutmeg and season.
- Heat the grill to high. Pour the bechamel into a baking dish. Add a spoonful of the meat filling near the bottom end of an aubergine slice, then wrap the aubergine around it to create a little stuffed roll. Nestle the roll in the bechamel sauce seam-side down. Repeat until all the meat and aubergine is used up. Sprinkle over the parmesan and pop under a hot grill for a few minutes until everything is golden and bubbling.
