My visit to Crete in May reignited my passion for this Greek classic. You don’t have to be Delia Smith, but it does help to be half-decent at making sauces from scratch. If you’re not so confident, give it a go anyway. Just keep stirring and try to get a feel for the quantities. What you don’t want to do is make the mixture turn brown (into a roux) before you blend in the milk. This is not something you will make within the hour, but I promise it’s one of the most rewarding, and admittedly calorific, foodie pleasures you will ever encounter.

Lamb Moussaka (serves 4)

Main ingredients

2 medium aubergines, sliced (approx 0.5cm)
2-3 tbsp good quality olive oil
70g butter
450g minced lamb
2 large onions, sliced
1 tbsp tomato purée
1 egg, beaten
75ml red wine
75ml water
50-60g parmesan, grated
salt, pepper
herbs to garnish (optional)
simple salad (and garlic bread) to serve

For the sauce

15g butter
15g flour
300ml fresh milk
1 egg, beaten
salt, pepper

How to cook it

Sprinkle aubergine slices with salt and leave wrapped in a tea towel for 30 minutes to dry. Add the olive oil to a pan and over a medium heat and fry in batches on both sides until browned. If the oil dries up, use more, just make sure it’s good quality!

Leave to one side and fry onions in the butter and a little olive oil until soft. Add the minced lamb and cook until browned, before adding the water, wine and tomato purée. Season to taste. Line an oven proof dish with half the aubergine, cover with meat mixture and arrange the remaining aubergine slices on top.

For the cheese sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan, add the flour and cook over a low heat, stirring for about 2 mins. Gradually add the milk until the sauce thickens and becomes smooth. Stir in the parmesan (save some for the next step) by which stage it should coat the back of a spoon. Season to taste. Slowly add the beaten egg into the cheese sauce whilst mixing.

Pour over the top of the aubergines and sprinkle with the remaining parmesan. Pop in the oven at 180 degrees C (adjust accordingly for fan assisted – maybe 160 degrees C) and cook for 45 mins-1 hour. Serve with a simple side salad and garlic bread if desired.

The wine match

If you don’t have a Greek Syrah or Kotsfali at hand, find a red that’s earthy, dry and medium-bodied with good acidity. I have Italy screaming in my ear, and the newly restocked Doricum Nero d’Avola from Sicily has immediately caught my attention.

We also welcome back another member of the Italian family in the form of the Farnese Sangiovese. Very popular indeed, this great food wine has been absent for more than a year, so it’s great to see a comeback.

For the seriously curious, check out one of our latest new additions, The Squid’s Fist. If you have the guts to open this bottle, Moussaka and good company are recommended accompaniments.