Gratinated Moussaka

• 500gr (sweet) potato
• 1 large onion
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 500 g minced beef
• 1 tsp The Spice Club cinnamon
• 1 tsp The Spice Club Nutmeg
• 2 tsp The Spice Club oregano
• 70 g tomato puree (canned)
• 150 ml red wine
• 150 ml of water
• 2 eggplants
• 60 g unsalted butter
• 60 g wheat flour
• 500 ml whole milk
• 100 g Grated cheese
• 2 eggs

Step 1: Preparing the Sweet Potato and Eggplant:

• Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into slices of about ½ cm thick. This ensures that they cook evenly.
• Cut the eggplant into slices of the same thickness as the sweet potato.
• Place the eggplant slices on a baking tray lined with baking paper and bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes at 180°C, until soft and light brown.

Step 2: Preparation of the Minced Meat Mixture:

• Heat half of the mild olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
• Fry the finely chopped onion and garlic for about 5 minutes, until soft and lightly browned.
• Add the ground beef to the pan and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the ground beef is loose and lightly browned.
• Add the ground cinnamon and dried oregano to the minced meat and mix well. Let the mixture cook for another 2 minutes.
• Reduce the heat to low and add the tomato puree, red wine and water to the minced meat mixture. Let it simmer without a lid for about 30 minutes. This gives the minced meat a deep flavor. Season with pepper and salt if necessary.

Step 3: Preparation of the Cheese Sauce:

• Melt the unsalted butter in a saucepan over low heat.
• Add the wheat flour to the melted butter and stir well with a whisk. Let the mixture cook for about 5 minutes so that the flour cooks and the roux thickens.
• Add the whole milk to the roux while stirring with the whisk and bring to the boil. Let the mixture simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the sauce thickens.
• Grate the Pecorino Romano cheese and add it to the béchamel sauce. Stir well until the cheese is completely melted and the sauce has a smooth consistency. Season the sauce with pepper, salt and grated nutmeg.
• Beat the medium eggs in a separate bowl and then stir them into the cheese sauce. This creates a creamy and airy texture.

Step 4: Assembling the Oven Dish:

• Grease an oven dish with the remaining mild olive oil, so that the oven dish does not stick to the bottom.
• Spread about ⅓ of the fried eggplant slices evenly over the bottom of the baking dish. Place them in a single layer so that the casserole is nicely built up.
• Then place ⅓ of the sweet potato slices on top of the eggplant layer. This ensures a good distribution of the ingredients and makes the casserole sturdy.
• Cover the sweet potato layer with half of the minced meat mixture. Spread it evenly over the casserole so that every bite is full of flavor.
• Repeat the layers by adding another third of the eggplant and sweet potato, followed by the rest of the mince mixture.
• Finish with the last layer of eggplant slices on top of the minced meat. This ensures a beautiful presentation of the casserole.

Step 5: Baking the Oven Dish:

• Bake the casserole in the preheated oven for about 45 minutes at 180°C, until the top is golden brown and crispy.
• Let the casserole cool for about 15 minutes before serving. This makes it easier to cut and ensures that the flavors blend well.