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Ratatouille

Introduction & method

You might call this the embodiment of the Mediterranean diet - fresh summer vegetables, olive oil, healthy etc. There doesn't seem to be anything like an 'authentic' version of ratatouille, but this one is slow-cooked and packed with rich flavours.

 Ratatouille Recipe

Make the tomato sauce


Peel and finely chop the onion, and mince the garlic. Sauté them on medium heat until soft but not coloured - 5-7 minutes. Chop the tomatoes and add them along with the thyme and torn basil leaves. Give it all a good stir and cook until you have a saucy consistency, about 20 minutes. Add a bit of water if it looks like it's drying out.

Prep the vegetables


Wash the aubergine and courgette and slice them as finely as you can - a mandoline is ideal for this - they should be about 3mm (eighth of an inch) thick. Top and tail the red pepper and slice out the core. Slice the pepper into thin rings.

Assemble the ratatouille


Preheat your oven to 200°C (392°F). When the sauce is ready, pour it into an ovenproof dish. Arrange the vegetables in an overlapping spiral, alternating aubergine and courgette slices, and the red pepper too if it's small enough to slot in. If your pepper is too big, you can cut the rings into thirds and arrange them over the other vegetables. Make sure the vegetables completely cover the sauce. Drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with thyme.

Cook the ratatouille


Cover the dish with a lid or with foil. Place in the oven and bake for 1 hour. After this time, remove from the oven and check the vegetables for doneness. If they are done, place under a hot grill (broiler) for 10-15 minutes to get the top browned and possibly crispy.


The video above is from the Keef Cooks YouTube channel. Click here to see the video recipe of Ratatouille on YouTube.

 
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Ingredients & Info


SAUCE
 1 can peeled plum tomatoes
 1 medium onion
 4 cloves garlic, crushed
 a pinch of salt
  VEGETABLES
 1 aubergine (eggplant)
 1 courgette (zucchini)
 1 red bell pepper
 a few leaves of basil
  dried thyme
PLUS

Olive oil for sauteeing / drizzling. You can use fresh tomatoes if you like, but you'll need to peel them first.


UNITS:
Metric
US Customary/Imperial

Makes 2 main course portions
Prep time: 10 minutes.
Cooking time: 90 minutes.
Total time: 1 hours 40 minutes.