A modern moussaka

Name: A modern moussaka
Cuisine: European, Mediterranean
Ingredients: 17 ounces/500 g cherry tomatoes; 2 red onions olive oil; a pinch of dried chile flakes; 1 lemon; sea salt and freshly ground pepper; 1⅔ pounds/600 g small new potatoes; 2 eggplants; 3 tablespoons coconut oil; 3 tablespoons spelt flour; 1¼ cups/300 ml unsweetened almond milk

9 steps

I first ate this in L.A. and I have dreamed of it ever since. It's rich, creamy, and tasty at the same time as feeling bright and clean. Be sure to cook your eggplant through on the grill pan, as there are few things worse than raw eggplant. It will be translucent and soft all the way through when it's ready. I have kept this dish naturally vegan and dairy free, as I find it lighter and more delicious. You could easily swap the coconut oil for butter and almond milk for cow's milk, to make a more classic béchamel. Serve this with some bright, lemon-dressed leaves.

Updated at: Tue, 26 Sep 2023 06:15:02 GMT

Nutrition balance score

Great

Glycemic Index

Moderate

Glycemic Load

High

Nutrition per serving

Calories381.2 kcal (19%)

Total Fat16.5 g (24%)

Carbs51.5 g (20%)

Sugars12.8 g (14%)

Protein9.5 g (19%)

Sodium240.7 mg (12%)

Fiber11 g (39%)

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Ingredients

4 servings

500gcherry tomatoes

3 tablespoonscoconut oil

3 tablespoonsspelt flour

300mlunsweetened almond milk

Instructions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 425°F/220°C (convection 400°F/200°C) and heat a grill pan on high heat. Fill and boil a kettle of water and get all your ingridients and equipment together.

Step 2

Halve the tomatoes and finely slice the onions. On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss them with a drizzle of olive oil, scatter over the chile, grate over the zest of the lemon, and add a little salt and pepper. Put them into the oven to roast for 20 minutes.

Step 3

Cook the potatoes in boiling water from the kettle for 12 to 15 minutes, until tender and cooked through.

Step 4

Meanwhile, slice the eggplants into ¼-inch/5-mm rounds. Cook them in the hot grill pan until cooked through and charred on both sides you will need to do this in batches. Put each cooked batch on a plate, drizzle with a little olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.

Step 5

To make the béchamel, melt the coconut oil in a saucepan, add the flour, and cook for a couple of minutes to cook out the rawness, then add the almond milk bit by bit, whisking as you go to make sure there are no lumps.

Step 6

It should be a pretty thick béchamel, similar to Greek yogurt.

Step 7

Drain the potatoes. Put a large, shallow, heavy-bottomed ovenproof pan on medium-high heat and add 3 tablespoons of olive oil, then add the potatoes. Use a potato masher to squash them a tiny bit so they have a flat side underneath; leave them to brown a little. Toss every now and then so they are crisp but not sticking to the pan. Season well.

Step 8

Once the bottoms of the potatoes are brown, take the tomatoes out of the oven and spoon over the potatoes. Top with the grilled eggplant and spoon the béchamel over. Heat the broiler to high and put the pan under the broiler for 5 to 10 minutes.

Step 9

Once the casserole is browned and bubbling, serve in the middle of the table.