Ingredients
For the vegetables
- olive oil, for brushing and extra for vegetables
- 2 potatoes, cut into thin slices
- 1 onion, cut into thin slices
- 1 eggplant, cut into thin slices
- 2 medium zucchini, cut into thin slices
- salt
- ground pepper
- thyme
For the ground meat mixture
- olive oil, for sautéing
- 1 onion, minced
- 1 clove of garlic, minced
- 500 g ground meat (beef)
- salt
- ground pepper
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- pinch of ground cloves
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 can chopped tomatoes
For the béchamel sauce
- 750 ml milk
- 3 egg yolks
- 100 g all-purpose flour
- 100 g butter
- ground pepper
- pinch of ground nutmeg
- 100 g grated parmesan
Method
- Preheat oven to 200* C (390* F) Fan.
For the vegetables
- Brush a 25x30 cm baking pan with olive oil.
- Peel the potatoes and onion and cut into thin slices.
- Transfer to a bowl. Drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt, pepper and some thyme. Toss to coat.
- Spread in a single layer on the bottom of the baking pan.
- Bake for 20 minutes, until they soften and turn golden.
- Thinly slice an eggplant. The vegetable slices need to be thin in order for them to cook correctly in the oven.
- Transfer eggplant slices to a bowl. Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt, pepper and thyme. Toss.
- Remove pan from oven and add the eggplant slices. Spread them in a single layer over the potato and onion. If your eggplant looks a little dry, drizzle with some more olive oil.
- Bake for another 20 minutes.
- Cut the zucchini into thin slices. Once again, drizzle with olive oil, season with salt, pepper and thyme. Toss to coat.
- Spread them in a single layer over the eggplant and bake for 20 minutes.
For the ground meat
- Pour a small amount of olive oil into a pan. Mince an onion. Add it to the pan and caramelize over high heat.
- Mince a clove of garlic. Add it to your pan and mix. Sauté until it softens and turns slightly golden.
- Add ½ teaspoon of cinnamon and a pinch of ground cloves. Mix and sauté. It makes such a huge difference when you cook your spices before you add the meat.
- Add 1 tablespoon of tomato paste. Sauté.
- Add the ground meat. Use a wooden spoon to break it up into small pieces. Season with salt and pepper and brown over high heat.
- Add a can of chopped tomatoes. Sauté for 5-10 minutes or until most of the liquid evaporates. The mixture should be quite dry. Set aside.
For the béchamel sauce
- Place a medium sized saucepan over medium heat. Add the butter. As soon as the butter starts to melt add the flour and start to whisk as you sauté.
- Start to add the milk slowly and in batches. Whisk continuously throughout this process so no lumps form in the mixture. As soon as the first batch of milk is absorbed in the flour, you can add the next batch. Repeat process until all of the milk has been added and completely incorporated in the mixture.
- When the sauce finally starts to bubble you’ll know it’s ready. It should be smooth, creamy and delicious.
- Remove from heat. Add some freshly ground pepper, ground nutmeg, grated parmesan and 3 egg yolks. Stir and set aside.
To assemble
- Add 1/3 of the béchamel sauce to the ground meat mixture. Mix together to create a sticky filling that will hold the dish together when serving and eating.
- Spread filling over vegetable layers.
- Pour béchamel sauce over meat filling. Use a spatula to smooth the top and sprinkle with some grated parmesan.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.
- Remove from oven. Allow to cool for at least 1 hour.
- Cut into pieces, serve and enjoy!
