Moussaka was my favourite childhood treat. A rich, meaty filling, layered with slices of soft aubergine, topped with a quivering, risen top of béchamel and egg, sprinkled with a fine coating of grated parmesan.

With its ingredients of butter, milk, cheese and lamb, moussaka is not the modern idea of healthy food. However, a small helping eaten with a fresh green salad is a filling, sustaining and delicious supper. What is more, although I have given you a recipe using raw mince or shoulder or neck end here, moussaka traditionally uses up the leftovers from a joint of lamb or mutton, making it healthy (a joint contains far less fat than mince) and economical (we all love a way to use up leftovers).

Food, particularly stews, soups, relishes and sauces, often tastes better a few days after it is made. The time gives the flavours a chance to meld and infuse. It is sometimes the case that you eat a stew on the day you make it and, despite your best efforts, it might lack a certain je ne sais quoi. A few days later, however, and it is amazing how good it tastes.

My mother always tells me to make a casserole or stew at least a day before I want to serve it. Not only will it give me a chance to get all the cooking done before I have friends to supper, but it will mean that the food really shines.

Although I always think of moussaka as being Greek, I found a similar recipe in an old Italian cookbook. It was called a lasagne, but aubergine was used instead of pasta. Grilling the aubergine, as opposed to frying it in gallons of olive oil as my grandmother used to, will help to save your arteries.

Eating British lamb or mutton is a great way of supporting local farmers. If you buy a joint on the bone, you get a roast, a moussaka dish with the leftovers, and the bone to make a stock - three meals for the price of one.

THOMASINA'S MOUSSAKA

Serves 4

Preparation time: 45-50min Cooking time: 45min

500g shoulder or neck end of lamb, chopped into small dice or minced

3 medium aubergines cut into slices lengthways

2 medium onions

2 cloves garlic, minced

Olive oil

2 tbsp tomato purée

tsp brown sugar

75ml white or red wine

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tbsp fresh chopped parsley

Salt and pepper

For the béchamel top:

75g butter

75g plain flour

550ml milk (whole milk tastes better)

50g of mixed cheddar and parmesan cheese, grated (the more parmesan the better!)

Freshly grated nutmeg

2 eggs, beaten

Preheat oven to 200C/

400F/gas 6. Sprinkle the aubergine slices with salt; weigh down in a colander, allow to drain for an hour and dry them.

Brown the meat in batches in a tablespoon of hot oil per batch, making sure that the pan is very hot and that you don't overcrowd it - a wide, heavy-bottomed pan is ideal. (If you are using minced lamb you may want to discard the fat after each batch. If you are using leftovers from a joint, just chop up the pieces - and skip the browing stage.)

Chop the onions and brown in olive oil in the pan that you have been using. When nearly cooked add the minced garlic. Add the lamb, tomato purée, wine, salt, pepper, cinnamon, sugar and parsley. Cook until you have a good rich sauce, about ½ to ¾ of an hour. Rub a little olive oil over each slice of aubergine and grill on each side until slightly browned. Do not be tempted to add more oil; a light coating is fine.

To make the béchamel topping melt the butter in a saucepan until bubbling and add the flour. Stir until bubbling again and gradually start adding the milk. Stir each addition of milk well into the sauce before you add more. When all the milk is in the sauce cook for about eight minutes or so then check the floury taste has gone. Add the cheese and nutmeg. Cool before adding the eggs or you will scramble them.

In an overnproof dish, layer the aubergine and meat sauce, starting with the aubergine and preferably finishing with aubergine. Spread the béchamel sauce over the top and sprinkle with a little parmesan. Bake for about three quarters of an hour until golden and bubbling.

NUTRITIONIST'S VERDICT

One serving of this dish gives you 780 calories and 48g of fat, of which 21g is saturated (women should aim for no more than 70g of total fat and 20g of saturated fat daily and men 90g and 30g), so make sure you base the other meals of the day on leaner options.

The good news, however, is that you will get a good slug of energy- boosting, mood-lifting iron and bone-building calcium, along with selenium needed for vital detoxing enzymes and zinc for immunity and fertility.

Meanwhile the aubergines and onion are both packed with super- nutrients and serving with a salad will mean that you get almost three servings of vegetables per person.

AMANDA URSELL

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