On the heat. Mild

Ingredients

• 1 kg lamb mince, regular
• 3 large aubergines, sliced 1 cm
• 3 potatoes, sliced 5 mm
• 2 onions · 4 cloves garlic
• 2 tins chopped tomato · 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 150 ml red wine
• 1 cinnamon stick · 4 allspice berries · 2 bay
• — BÉCHAMEL
• 100 g butter · 100 g flour · 1 l milk
• 3 egg yolks · 150 g kefalotyri or parmesan · nutmeg

Method

1. Salt the aubergine slices and leave 30 minutes, then pat dry. Brush with oil and roast at 200 °C for 25 minutes — far better than frying, and a fraction of the oil.
2. Fry the potato slices until just golden.
3. Brown the mince hard, add onion and garlic, then tomato, paste, wine and whole spices. Simmer 45 minutes until genuinely dry. A wet mince layer ruins the whole dish.
4. Béchamel: butter and flour cooked two minutes, milk in gradually, simmered 10 minutes. Off the heat, beat in the yolks and cheese. It should be very thick.
5. Layer: potato, aubergine, all the mince, aubergine, then béchamel over the top.
6. 180 °C for 50 minutes until deeply browned. Then rest it 30 minutes. Cut too early and it slides off the slice.

Cook's note. Cinnamon and allspice are not optional. They are what make this Greek rather than a lasagne with aubergine in it.

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