Serves 6
Prep: 30 min

Cook: 30 min

2 large aubergines
2 large red onions
2 tbsp olive oil
500g lean minced beef or lamb
Small glass red wine, approx 150ml
400g chopped tomatoes
50g butter
50g flour
500ml milk
2 eggs
Nutmeg

METHOD

Trim the stalk ends of the aubergine, stand on the cut end and slice about half a cm thick. Place the slices in the sink, sprinkle both sides with salt (about 1 tbsp), then stand in a colander to drain. Leave for 10-15 minutes until the aubergines begin to weep. Heat the oven to 425F/220C/gas mark 7.

Peel, halve and chop the onions. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a spacious, lidded frying or sauté pan over a medium heat and stir in the onions. Cook for two minutes until the onions look juicy, add half a tsp salt, stir thoroughly, reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for 10 minutes. Crumble the meat over the onions, increase the heat and stir to brown and release the fat.

Tip the mixture into a colander to drain excess fat, return to the pan and add the wine. Let it bubble up into the meat, then reduce the heat slightly and stir in the tomatoes. Reduce the heat and leave to simmer, stirring occasionally, until ready to assemble and the sauce is juicy rather than wet.

Pat the aubergine dry, smear both sides with the remaining oil and arrange in a single layer on a baking tray/s; don’t put the slices too close together, otherwise they will sweat rather than roast. Cook in the oven for 10 minutes, turn and cook for a further 5 minutes or until the slices are quite soft. Reduce the oven to 375F/190C/gas mark 5.

Meanwhile, make the white sauce. Melt the butter in a saucepan and stir in the flour until fully mixed. Add the milk, stirring with a wooden spoon, beating the sauce as it thickens and comes to the boil. If it turns lumpy, whisk it with a globe whisk. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Season lightly with salt and more generously with black pepper and nutmeg. Whisk the eggs. Off the heat, stir the eggs into the sauce.

To assemble, spread half the aubergine in a 2-litre gratin dish, about 6cm deep, and top with the meat. Flatten and cover with the rest of the aubergine. Add the sauce to cover completely.

Bake for 30 minutes until the topping is set and the meat is bubbling round the edge.

Times Recommends

• Jane MacQuitty’s party wine
• Oliver Peyton's Christmas pavlova
• Blood orange cosmopolitan