Making Moussaka this evening, any suggestions?

[Parm]

My better half and I are going to be making moussaka this evening for her mom and dad!

The recipe we'll be using is a Rick Stein recipe taken from the BBC website:

Ingredients
150-175ml/5-6fl oz olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed
900g/2lb lean minced lamb
50ml/2 fl oz white wine (a generous splash)
1 x 400g/14oz can chopped tomatoes
1 x 5cm/2in piece cinnamon stick
a handful of fresh oregano leaves, preferably wild Greek oregano, chopped
3 large aubergines
salt and pepper
For the topping
75g/3 oz butter
75g/3oz plain flour
600ml/1 pint milk
50g/2oz Parmesan cheese, finely grated
2 medium eggs, beaten

Method
1. For the lamb sauce, heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a pan. Add the onions and garlic and fry until just beginning to brown. Add the minced lamb and fry over a high heat for 3-4 minutes. Add the wine, tomatoes, cinnamon and oregano and simmer gently for 30-40 minutes while you make everything else.
2. Slice the stalks off the aubergines and cut them lengthways into 5mm/1/4 inch slices. Heat a frying pan until it is jumping hot, add 1 tablespoon of the oil and a layer of aubergine slices and fry quickly until tender and lightly coloured on each side. Lift out with tongs (every kitchen should have some!), layer over the base of a 2.5-2.75 litre/4 1/2-5 pint shallow ovenproof dish and season lightly with a little salt and pepper. Repeat with the rest of oil and aubergines and seasoning each layer as you go.
3. For the topping, melt the butter in a non-stick pan, add the flour and cook over a medium heat for 1 minute to cook out the flour. Gradually beat in the milk, bring to the boil, stirring, and leave to simmer very gently for 10 minutes, giving it a stir every now and then. Stir in the cheese and some salt and pepper to taste. Cool slightly and then beat in the eggs.
4. Preheat the oven at 200C/400F/Gas 6. Remove the cinnamon stick from the lamb sauce, season to taste with some salt and pepper and spoon it over the top of the aubergines. Pour over the topping and bake for 25-30 minutes until golden and bubbling.

It sounds straight forward enough, and we've got all the ingredients but what should we be aware of? I'm no expert when it comes to cooking, but I do love to have a dabble.

Any moussaka experts on the forums? If so, how would you change this recipe, and why? Also, what would you serve with the moussaka?

We'll be cooking it this evening, I'll let you know how it went tomorrow, unless I'm struck down with food poisoning.

[menthel]

Sounds about right to me! As well as cinnamon I usually add a small amount of cumin as well. Not authentic but tasty. My wife will also manage to stick chilli in if I don't catch her!

[Parm]

Chilli in a moussaka eh? I like the sound of that! But then, I have chilli on everything. Might keep the chilli out of this one, I think the other half's parents prefer to stay away from hot stuff.

[menthel]

I love chilli too, but my wife will put it into anything that we cook, and sometimes it just is not needed. Make a mushroom sauce to go with some chicken? She will sneak in some chilli!

[Parm]

mmmm chilli mushroom sauce.

[menthel]

Not when there is a splash of cream in there!

[Parm]

Right then, made the moussaka yesterday evening and have to say, the BBC recipe posted above is tops!

Made a garlic bread to go with it though and went a bit overboard with the garlic. Still, the moussaka was a success!