serves
8
prep
15 minutes
cook
1:30 hour
difficulty
Easy
serves
8
people
preparation
15
minutes
cooking
1:30
hour
difficulty
Easy
level
Stream free On Demand
Memory Bites with Matt Moran
series • cooking
PG
series • cooking
PG
Ingredients
For the vegetables
- 1 kg eggplant (or any combination of eggplant, zucchini and potatoes), cut lengthways into 5 mm slices
- Olive oil, as needed
- Butter, as needed
- Salt, to taste
For the meat sauce
- 1 kg minced lamb
- 2 onions, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp plain flour (not when using potatoes)
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp oregano
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- ½ cup tomato passata
- 500 g tin chopped tomatoes
- ¾ cup red wine
- ½ bunch parsley, finely chopped
Custard bechamel
- 100 g butter
- ½ cup plain flour
- 4 cups milk
- 6 eggs
- A good pinch of nutmeg
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 200 g freshly grated Parmesan
Resting time: 15 minutes
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 170°C.
- To make the vegetables, heat a mixture of butter and olive in a large frying pan over a medium-low heat, and gently fry sliced vegetables until just tender. Drain on paper towel and set aside.
- Combine meat, onion and garlic in a large heavy-based saucepan and dry fry, stirring all the time for about 8 minutes. Stir in the flour, cinnamon, oregano, nutmeg, salt and pepper.
- Slowly add the tomato passata, tinned tomato, wine and parsley. Cook on high while stirring till most of the liquid has evaporated.
- To make the custard topping, melt the butter in a heavy based saucepan, add the flour and mix. Add the milk and cook gently till you have a thick sauce.
- In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs with a pinch of nutmeg, salt and pepper. Remove sauce from heat and stir in egg mixture. Mix well and return to heat for 1 minute, stirring all the time. Remove from heat and add the cheese.
- Arrange half the vegetables in a lightly greased large casserole. Spoon in all the meat and top with remaining vegetables. Pour the cheese sauce over.
- Bake for about 50 minutes, until the top is bubbly and the centre appears firm. Leave to set for 15 minutes before serving.
Watch how to make this recipe on Episode 4 of Memory Bites with Matt Moran.
Cook's Notes
Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.
Stream free On Demand
Memory Bites with Matt Moran
