Beef, eggplant & zucchini bake

1. Finely dice the onion and garlic

2. Preheat a large saucepan over a medium – high heat and add in two tablespoons of the cooking oil

3. Once hot, add the onions and garlic into the saucepan and sautee with a season of salt until caramelized

4. Add in the beef mince and cook until browned

5. Add in the sweet and smoked paprika, bay leaf and marjoram and cook for a further two minutes before adding in the diced tomatoes. Add in desiccated liver now if using.

6. Bring up to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and allow to reduce for the following 20 minutes. Season with salt to taste

7. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 180 degrees and take out one large baking tray

8. Thinly slice the zucchini and eggplant lengthways into equal sized slices. I like to use a mandolin for this as it is always consistent and much quicker

9. Drizzle the baking dish with a little olive oil to prevent sticking and lay the first layer of eggplant and zucchini. Salt each layer. Then add the beef mixture and top with a sprinkle of parmesan. Repeat this process until all ingredients have been used.

10. Finish last with parmesan on top and place the dish into the oven to bake for roughly 40 minutes until the vegetables have softened and the top is golden and slightly crunchy.

Serving suggestion

1. This is delicious served with mashed potatoes