Salt
1 aubergine, sliced lengthways
3 courgettes, sliced lengthways
About 300ml/½pt olive oil
2 large potatoes, peeled and sliced lengthways
2 small onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
750g/¾lb minced beef
3 beefsteak tomatoes, chopped
1 cinnamon stick
1 bay leaf
12 turns black peppermill
100ml butter
100g/4oz plain flour
750ml/1 pt full-fat milk
3 eggs
¼ tsp grated nutmeg
150g graviera cheese (or Gruyère if unavailable), freshly grated

1. Salt the aubergine and courgette slices
2. Leave them for about 30 minutes
3. Rinse, then rinse and dry on kitchen paper. 
4. Fry in plenty of the olive oil over a medium heat until lightly browned and starting to soften
5. Drain on kitchen paper and set aside. 
6. Fry the potatoes in the same way.
7. In a separate pan, heat 70ml of the olive oil
8. Fry the onions and garlic for 5 minutes until softened.
9. Add the minced beef and brown it
10. Add the tomatoes, cinnamon stick, bay leaf, 1½ tsp salt and the pepper. 
11. Simmer for 30–40 minutes.
12. When done, remove the cinnamon and bay leaf.
13. In a deep ovenproof dish, about 24cm x 35cm, arrange the potatoes in a layer.
14. Top with a third of the beef, then the aubergine, another third of the beef, the courgettes, and finish with the remaining beef.
15. Heat the oven to 220°C/gas 7.
16. Melt the butter in a saucepan over a gentle heat
17. Stir in the flour
18. Cook for 2 minutes so it loses its raw taste. 
19. Slowly incorporate the milk, and continue stirring until the sauce thickens.
20. Remove from the heat
21. Whisk in the eggs, nutmeg and 100g of the grated cheese. 
22. Spread the béchamel over the layered meat and vegetables
23. Top with a further 50g grated cheese. 
24. Bake for 30 minutes in the oven pre0heated to 220°C.
25. Remove from oven
26. Leave to cool. 
27. Serve warm.