Moussaka (for Dee!)

This worked really well and was delicious. It's not hugely different to my usual recipe, but the method has changed slightly. Recently I've found that supermarket lamb mince is increasingly fattier than it used to be (I wonder if it has anything to do with costs?) and can make moussaka unpleasantly greasy so I tried doing it this way. I used mascarpone and double cream because that was what was in the fridge but greek yoghurt, fomage frais, cottage cheese... any combination of these would do. For carb-phobics, there's only a tiny amount of potato in each serving, but by all means leave it out of the dish if you prefer.

500g lamb mince
1 aubergine
1 large baking potato, peeled and finely sliced
1 courgette, diced
1 onion, finely diced
1/2 tsp crushed dried chilli
1 tbs dried oregano
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 good squirts of tomato puree
200 ml red wine
1 lamb stock cube
200g mascarpone
2 eggs
double cream
Finely grated parmesan (optional)

Start by frying the mince in a large non-stick pan over a medium heat. You want to render as much fat out of the meat as possible. Once the mince is starting to brown place a sieve over a bowl, tip in the mince and allow to drain. I also wadded up several pieces of kitchen paper and pushed out as much as possible. Wipe out the pan, place it back on the heat and return the meat. Add the diced onion and courgette and continue frying for another couple of minutes. Then add the herbs and spices, tomato puree, wine and stock cube. Bring up to the boil then simmer gently until the liquid has all but evaporated. Spoon into a deep ovenproof casserole.

Prick the aubergine all over then place on a microwaveable plate with a tablespoon of water and cover with cling film. Microwave on high until cooked through and soft when poked with a finger (careful it will be very very hot!). Remove from the microwave and allow to cool slightly then dice roughly.

Cover the meat with overlapping slices of potato then spread the cooked aubergine over the top.

Beat the eggs into the mascarpone then add enough cream to give the consistency of pouring custard. Pour the topping over the aubergine and sprinkle with parmesan (if using). Bake in a moderate oven (gas mark 4 / 180c) for approximately 50 minutes until puffed up and golden brown on top and the potato is cooked. Check after 20 minutes and if the top is browning too quickly cover the dish with some aluminium foil to prevent burning.