My Big Fat Moussaka

If you have cooked up this batch recipe ahead of time it is a great comforting recipe to have ready and waiting in the freezer. Just remember to take it out of the freezer in the morning, so all you will need to do is pop it in the oven at step 5. Serve with a tomato salad and crisp green salad. This recipe uses ground cumin and coriander for an authentic flavour, but omit if your children don’t like spicy flavours.

This is a good recipe for adding left over potatoes and vegetables. By scrubbing the potatoes and not peeling them you are saving on excess waste, also a lot of the nutrients come form the potato skin.

By Caroline Marson

Cookery advisor

All recipes by Caroline Marson

Ingredients

Serves 10-12

500g waxy potatoes, scrubbed and cut into thick slices
2 onions, peeled and chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
½ teaspoon ground cumin (optional)
900g minced lamb
Pinch of nutmeg

1 teaspoon Mustard
Mustard

Worth keeping a few different types.
- French mustard or Dijon is creamy and can be used in dressings, marinades or adding to sauces.
- English is good for roast beef, steak, gammon or sizzling sausages.
- Wholegrain is used in chutney’s and pickles
Ground Black peppercorns
Black peppercorns

Best used as a condiment.
They can be lightly crushed and used to spice up a creamy sauce or to coat fillet steak or chicken breasts.
- Although it might seem odd, grinding black pepper over a bowl of strawberries enhances the flavour of the fruit.
- Pepper that is pre-ground is not fresh tasting and often has other ingredients mixed in.
- Choose the type of mill that suits you, and if you want coarser pepper you can loosen the screw on the top of the mill or crush the seeds in a pestle and mortar
Salt

Salt

Consider tablesalt, sea salt or crystals.

Sea salt’s pronounced and salty flavour means less is required to season food.
1.2 litres Milk

Milk

organic, full fat, semi-skimmed.

If milk turns sour (and this when it smells or tastes sour not when it has reached the best before date) it is excellent for making scones
700ml chicken stock from cubes or homemade Stocks

Stocks

Made from your meat and fish bones.

Frozen in ice cubes for gravies, risotto and cooking rice. Once frozen, remove from the ice trays and pack into freezer bags. Use stock powder or cubes if you do not have any home made available.
½ teaspoon ground Cinnamon
Cinnamon

Great in buns, cakes, and puddings.
- Add to baked apples or apple pies.
- Break the stick and add to poaching syrup for fruits like pears, plums or bananas or use to infuse wine or punch.
2 x 400g Canned chopped tomatoes
Canned chopped tomatoes

Great for instant pizza sauce, pasta, curry sauces.
- The tomatoes will keep for up to a week, but don’t store them in the opened tin because the metal will start to rust and spoil the food. Instead, tip the tomatoes into a plastic container, cover with a lid, or clingfilm and store in the fridge.
- Alternatively, put the tomatoes in a freezer-proof container and freeze for up to 12 months.
75g plain Flour
Flour

For pastry making or to thicken sauces, soups, stews and casseroles.
- Raising agents are added to plain flour to make self-raising flour, used to lighten and give an airy texture to cakes and sponges.
- Once opened reseal with quick clips or transfer to an airtight container or kilner jar. It will keep for up to 3-4 months
2 tablespoons Olive oil
Olive oil

Usually the darker green the oil, the richer the flavour.
- Extra virgin olive oil is good for drizzling on salads and should never be heated as this destroys the fine properties
- Lighter olive oil is good for adding to bread, or to flavour a salad or marinade for chicken, meat, fish or vegetables. Lighter olive oil can be gently heated and added to marinades and baking.
4 Eggs
Eggs

Always have some on hand for quick scrambled egg.
- Keep eggs in the fridge in their box and never eat them after their use-by date.
- The Health Protection Agency recommends buying Lion branded eggs, which come from vaccinated hens and are therefore less likely to contain salmonella
80g Butter

Butter

Unsalted is better for cooking.

Easy spread butter is ideal for sandwiches and toast.
250g leftover grated Cheese
Cheese

Add to eggs for omelettes, grate onto soups or salads.
- Parmesan often goes rock hard or becomes horribly sweaty. Ideally, all cheese should be stored in a cool, airy place at a temperature of 46-50F/8-10C. However, most of us put it straight into the fridge. This is fine providing the cheese is kept loosely wrapped in its own airtight container so it isn’t tainted by other foods.
- Store it in the salad drawer, which is not quite as cold as the rest of the fridge and use a micro plane for grating.

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F) mark 5. Put the potatoes in a large pan of water, bring up to the boil and simmer for about 15 minutes until they are just cooked. Drain and set aside.
Heat the oil in a large frying pan, add the onion, garlic and spices and cook for 5 minutes or until soft. Turn up the heat and add the lamb mince and cook, stirring, for another 4-5 minutes, add the tomatoes and season well. Continue to cook for about 20-25 minutes adding the stock in stages.
To make the sauce, place the butter, flour, milk and mustard in a small saucepan and, whisking continuously, cook over a medium heat until the sauce begins to boil and thicken. Turn down the heat to its lowest and let the sauce cook for 2 minutes. Allow to cool a little then add the grated cheese (reserving a handful for the topping) and eggs, nutmeg and seasoning.
In a large shallow ovenproof dish or individual freezer dishes, layer the meat with the potato slices, finishing with a neat layer of potato slices. Pour the sauce over the potatoes and sprinkle with the reserved grated cheese.
Place in the preheated oven to cook for about 25-30 minutes or until golden and bubbling.

Leftover Tips

This is a good recipe for adding left over potatoes and vegetables.
By scrubbing the potatoes and not peeling them you are saving on excess waste, also a lot of the nutrients come form the potato skin.