Course: Main
Servings: 8 people
Prep Time: 35 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes

Ingredients:

• Aubergines - 3 medium
• Mushrooms - 1 kilo (sliced)
• Shetland butter - 100 grams
• Onion - 1 large (chopped)
• Garlic - 2 cloves (crushed)
• Tomato puree - 200 grams
• Parsley - 100 grams (chopped)
• Fresh basil leaves - 1 tbsp (chopped)
• Fresh oregano - 1 tbsp (chopped)
• Ground cinnamon - 1-2 tsp
• Red wine - 125 ml
• Bread crumbs - 150 grams
• Parmesan or cheddar - 150 grams (grated)
• Free range eggs - 4 whole
• Shetland butter - 125 grams
• Plain flour - 125 grams
• Shetland Dairies milk - 500 ml
• Free range egg yolks - 4

Instructions:

1. Slice the aubergines about 1 cm thick and place on a baking sheet that has been lightly oiled, sprinkle with salt and pop into the oven 190 c /gas 5 for about 15 minutes or until tender.
2. Into a large saucepan that has a lid, melt the first lot of butter and add the onion and garlic pop the lid on and sweat together until they are soft. Add the sliced mushrooms.
3. Now add tomato puree, parsley, basil, oregano, salt and pepper, cinnamon and red wine and cook util the liquid is absorbed.
4. At this time you can check the aubergines and if they are cooked remove from the oven and put to one side until needed.
5. Meantime take another saucepan and melt the next lot of butter, add the flour and cook out the roux. Remove from the heat and slowly add the milk, when incorporated put back on to the heat and bring to the boil, stirring all the time. When sauce has come to the boil turn the heat down and simmer for 2 minutes to cook completely. Remove from the heat and add the 4 egg yolks (save the whites in a separate container as they can be used to make a pavlova another day!)
6. Now back to the mushroom mixture and if the liquid has been absorbed add the breadcrumbs, cheese and whole eggs.
7. You are now ready to assemble the moussaka. Find a large ovenproof dish and lay half the aubergines in the bottom, cover with half the mushroom mixture and repeat this. Cover the top with the white sauce (you can at this point add more breadcrumbs and cheese, but i find it unnecessary) place into the oven and bake for 35 minutes covered and a further 15 minutes uncovered.
8. Sometimes I make the dish with courgettes, or a mixture of both aubergines and courgettes. Breadcrumbs can be replaced with rice or corn crumbs and the flour can be gluten free. Generally I serve it with a large mixed green salad tossed in french dressing.