Greece's grandest mince dish — and worth the weekend it asks for

Moussaka isn't a Tuesday dinner, and I won't pretend otherwise. It's layers, built properly: golden roasted eggplant, lamb simmered with tomato and cinnamon until thick and fragrant, and a cloud of cheese-enriched bechamel that bakes into a burnished roof. Call it two and a half hours, a fair slab of it hands-off, and the reward is a dish that cuts into proud golden squares, feeds six, and tastes even better tomorrow. The 480g pack of lamb mince in your share is exactly the right amount. Put some music on and enjoy the build.

2 hrs 30 mins 6 servings Prep 45 minsCook 1 hr 30 minsMain CourseGreek

Ingredients

  • 480g Your Farmer grass-fed lamb mince
  • 2 large eggplants (about 800g), sliced into 1cm rounds
  • 80ml olive oil, for brushing the eggplant
  • 1 brown onion, finely chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 125ml dry red wine (or beef stock)
  • 400g can crushed tomatoes
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 bay leaf
  • Salt and pepper to season
  • 60g butter (for the bechamel)
  • 60g plain flour (for the bechamel)
  • 600ml milk (for the bechamel)
  • Pinch of ground nutmeg (for the bechamel)
  • 2 egg yolks (for the bechamel)
  • 80g kefalotyri or parmesan, finely grated (half for the bechamel, half for the top)

Instructions

For the eggplant

Heat the oven to 220°C. Brush the eggplant slices on both sides with the olive oil, season, and roast on two lined trays for 20–25 minutes until golden and soft, swapping the trays halfway.

2 eggplants80ml olive oil

For the lamb sauce

Meanwhile, set a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Brown the mince for 5–6 minutes, breaking it up — its own fat is all it needs. Add the onion and cook 5 minutes more, then the garlic for 1 minute.

480g lamb mince1 onion3 cloves garlic

Stir in the tomato paste for 1 minute, then pour in the wine and let it bubble away for 2 minutes.

2 tbsp tomato paste125ml red wine

Add the tomatoes, cinnamon, oregano and bay leaf. Season, then simmer on low for 25–30 minutes until thick, with almost no free liquid — a wet sauce makes a sliding moussaka.

400g crushed tomatoes1 tsp cinnamon1 tsp oregano1 bay leaf

For the bechamel

Melt the butter in a saucepan, stir in the flour and cook for 1–2 minutes. Gradually whisk in the milk and simmer, whisking, until thick enough to coat a spoon. Off the heat, beat in the nutmeg, egg yolks and half the cheese, and season.

60g butter60g flour600ml milk2 egg yolks

To assemble and bake

Turn the oven down to 180°C. In a roughly 20x30cm baking dish, layer half the eggplant, all the lamb sauce (bay leaf removed), then the remaining eggplant. Pour the bechamel over and scatter with the rest of the cheese.

40g cheese

Bake for 40–45 minutes until deep golden and set.

Rest for 15 minutes before cutting — it needs this to set into neat squares — then serve with a sharp green salad.

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Your Farmer CSA grass-fed lamb share — Pack B selection of pasture-raised lamb cuts, vacuum-sealed, NSW & ACT delivery
CSA Pastured Lamb Share
Sale price From $150.00Regular price $162.41

Why Moussaka Asks for Lamb

Greece built this dish around lamb for the same reason the whole eastern Mediterranean cooks with it: lamb's richness stands up to eggplant, cinnamon and a blanket of bechamel where leaner meat would disappear. That teaspoon of cinnamon isn't a dessert stray, either — warm spice in savoury lamb dishes is the region's signature, and it's what makes moussaka taste like moussaka rather than lasagne in fancy dress. The grass-fed lamb mince in your Your Farmer® lamb share is minced from whole-animal trim off pastured lambs — and a dish this proud of its ingredients deserves meat from farmers you can actually name.

Two rules keep the layers honest. Simmer the lamb sauce until it's thick enough to mound on a spoon — free liquid is what makes moussaka slide apart. And respect the fifteen-minute rest at the end; it's the difference between clean golden squares and a delicious landslide. The egg yolks in the bechamel are doing quiet structural work too — they set the topping into a sliceable custard in the oven, which is why the bechamel must come off the heat before they go in.

Swaps and Variations

  • The potato layer: many Greek households lay thinly sliced, par-roasted potato under the eggplant — add it if you're feeding a crowd.
  • Beef version: works with a splash of olive oil for the browning, though you'll miss some of the depth.
  • Summer variation: swap one eggplant for two large zucchini, sliced lengthways and roasted the same way.
  • Spread the work: roast the eggplant and make the lamb sauce a day ahead — assembly day then takes half an hour plus the bake.

Storage and Leftovers

Moussaka is famously better on day two, once the layers have settled into each other. It keeps 3 days in the fridge, and slices reheat neatly in a 180°C oven for about 20 minutes. It freezes well in portions for 3 months — thaw overnight before reheating. Leftover squares, gently warmed, need nothing more than a squeeze of lemon over a few salad leaves alongside.

Reserve your share and the lamb for the next one is already on its way.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to salt the eggplant first?

Not with modern eggplants — the old bitterness has largely been bred out, and roasting drives off the excess moisture anyway. Save yourself the half hour.

Can I assemble moussaka ahead of time?

Yes — assemble it fully, refrigerate for up to 24 hours, and bake from cold with about 10 extra minutes. You can also make the eggplant and lamb sauce a day early and assemble fresh.

Why did my moussaka fall apart when I cut it?

Either the lamb sauce was too wet or it wasn't rested. Simmer the sauce until almost no liquid remains, and give the baked dish a full 15 minutes before cutting.

What can I use instead of red wine?

Beef stock with a teaspoon of red wine vinegar gives similar depth. The alcohol cooks off during the simmer either way.

Can I freeze moussaka?

Yes — baked and cooled, in portions, for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat in the oven so the top stays set rather than going soggy.

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