Mince part - The recipe calls for lamb mince I only had beef and pork mince so I used about 500g beef and 250g pork mince. My aubergines weight 852g I used all of them. 2 onions, tin tomatoes, 30 ml tomato paste, 5ml each origanum and cinnamon, 175ml red wine, small bunch parsley. Olive oil to fry
Custard topping - 75g grated cheddar, 850ml milk, 75ml flour, 75g butter, I used 2 exl eggs, and fresh grated nutmeg (see that little blob on the grater)
Slice aubergine long ways
Add baking sheet to pan and spread on the surface. This amount of oil is enough for brushing on both sides of aubergine
Salt and pepper
Bake in oven for 20 min at 220°. Or until brown. Watch them to ensure they don't burn. You can use this method to prepare aubergine for a nice salad too.
You'll notice the ones on the edge are browner.
Chop 2 onions
Fry in olive oil until translucent
Add the mince a small handful at a time and brown
Alternate beef and pork mince and continue until all the mince is brown
Add 5ml (tsp) of origanum
Add 1 tsp of cinnamon
Add 1tsp salt
Add chopping parsley
Add 30ml of tomato paste stir and cook until it starts to stick to the pan.
Add the tomatoes and continue to cook until you hear the mince crackling. This stage gives the mince the intense flavor.
After about 5min add the wine to deglaze the pan. Basically making sure the mince unsticks itself from the pan cook on low heat 20 minutes
The Custard topping - melt the butter in a saucepan
Melted not boiling
Add the flour
Stir vigorously
Keep stirring - I'm taking the photos all the way and trying to make sure no lumps form
Add the milk and continue stirring
It will start to thicken
Whisk - make sure no lumps form
Aaahhh this it lovely and smooth. Tip - if lumps form get out your stick blender and blitz
Add seasoning
This is what finely grated nutmeg looks like
Salt about 1 tsps taste to check
Cheese and wisk
At this stage I asked Brian to take the photo. Whisk the egg into the mix to ensure it doesn't turn into scrambled eggs. Don't be scared - just whisk. You can temper the eggs by adding a few Tbls of the milk mix to the eggs and then adding that mix into the milk mix. This stops the eggs from turning into scrambled eggs. If you are quick with the whisk its not really necessary.
And voila you have the smoothest creamy Custard
Assembly time
Layer aubergine on base of dish
Alternate with mince
Finish off with aubergines on top
Pour Custard over. With the rest of the cheese and a fine dusting of grated nutmeg
Bake for 30-40 min at 180°C
I should have lifted the aubergine up to peak through the sauce. I think my casserole dish was a little too small. Enjoy
