This moussaka recipe was taught to me, while sailing on a boat in the Aegean, by the talented Greek-born Chef Theodore Kyriakou of More restaurant in London.

It came to mind recently as holidays are drawing nearer and days will soon be filled with nothing more than sunshine, relaxation and Royal-blue seas. I remember Theodore improvising with some peppers when aubergine was in short supply and since there's some great-looking summer produce around, I've added courgettes and roasted peppers.

Prep all the separate elements the night before and assemble, bake and serve the following day with a Greek salad on the side!

Moussaka

Serves 4

For The Veggies
250g aubergines (1 large aubergine)
4 peppers
250g courgettes, finely sliced

For The Mince
25ml olive oil
100g shallots, finely chopped
500g extra-lean beef mince
1 fresh bay leaf
½ tsp cinnamon
500ml tomato puree
½ cup red wine

For The Béchamel
80g butter
80g flour
finely grated Parmesan
400ml milk, warmed
1 egg

Method
Prep the veggies.

For the peppers: Turn the grill up to maximum, place the peppers the middle oven rack and grill, turning, until charred and blistered on all sides. Place in a bowl and cover tightly with cling-wrap until cooled. Peel off blackened skin, pull out seeds (saving the syrupy juices) and slice into sections.

Wash and dry the aubergine and using a vegetable peeler, peel off alternate strips of skin. Cut into 5mm thick slices. Brush lightly with olive oil. Heat a large non-stick pan over medium to medium-high heat, lay the aubergine slices in a single layer in the pan and cook until soft and browned on each side (it might be necessary to do this in batches).

Heat a little oil in a pan, add the courgettes, season well and cook, tossing, until bright green and just tender.

Heat the olive oil in a large pot, over medium-low heat and cook the shallots gently until softened but without colour. Transfer to another dish and set aside.

If necessary another teaspoon of oil to the pot, and heat over high heat. Add the mince in one piece and cook, without stirring until browned on the underside. Then turn and, using a wooden spoon, break up the mince and cook until mince is crumbled, crisp and brown.

When the mince starts sticking to the bottom of the pan, add the wine and cook until absorbed. Add the shallots, cinnamon, tomato and bay leaf, reduce the heat and simmer gently for 30 minutes or until thickened.

For the béchamel, add the butter to a saucepan over a medium-high heat and when it is melted add the flour. Cook, stirring, until it smells biscuity. Add the milk a little at a time and keep stirring. Simmer for a minute or two. Season. Remove from the heat and stir in the cheese. After 20 minutes stir in the egg.

Layer the Mousaka in a 17cm x 24cm dish. Being with the aubergines, then add a layer of mince, then a layer of courgettes, then another layer of mince, add a layer of peppers and then the béchamel sauce. Sprinkle with extra Parmesan and bake at 180 degrees for 30 minutes or until it's golden and the béchamel has formed a crust. Rest for 20 minutes before serving.