Cauliflower Mash: Moussaka (well, almost)

This is based on a traditional Greek Moussaka, but I have used grilled baby marrows instead of potatoes, as it find potatoes too starchy in this kind of dish.

You need to make a pot of savoury beef mince to start with. I make a big pot of mince, using 1kg of ground free range beef, and I freeze it into about 6 portions (each of which are generally about enough to make a meal for two). I used frozen mince tonight. You can find step-by-step instructions on how to make savoury mince here.

To make the rest of the Moussaka, to serve two people:

Cut a fresh aubergine into slices about 5mm thick.

Slice 6 baby marrows into long thin slices (I get four slices per marrow).

Arrange the aubergines and the baby marrows on a large baking sheet, covered with baking paper to prevent it from sticking. Brush over the vegetables with olive oil and sprinkle a little salt over them.

Grill the aubergines and marrows for about 10 minutes, until they are lightly browned.

You need to make a bechamel sauce next:

In a pot on the stove, melt 1 tablespoon of butter. Once it has melted, remove it from the heat and stir in 1 tablespoon of flour until it makes a smooth paste. To this, add half a cup of milk, a pinch of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of mustard powder. Stir with a whisk until it is smooth.

Return this to the stove on a low heat and keep stirring with a whisk until it thickens and becomes glossy.

If you would prefer to make a gluten-free sauce, then you can thicken the bechamel sauce with an egg yolk. Provided that there is fat in the sauce, an egg yolk can bring a sauce together nicely. Don't add the yolk directly to the hot sauce, or it will scramble. What you need to do, is beat your egg in a small separate bowl. Then slowly add a little bit of the sauce to the egg and best it again. Continue adding little bits of sauce to the egg, until the egg has warmed up to a similar temperature. Then you can tip the eggy mixture into the sauce and beat it again.

Then, remove the bechamel sauce from the heat and stir in half a cup of grated cheese. Strong cheese like cheddar or Parmesan work well. I used a bit of both.

Lastly, whisk in one beaten egg.