Tuesday 7 June 2016

Ratatouille with Sautéed New Potatoes

Ratatouille: Provençal Vegetable Stew
I've only just planted out my courgette plants, but I'm already trying out some new recipes to use up the inevitable glut which will soon be on its way!

I've got to admit that I'm, generally not a big fan of ratatouille. Mainly because the vegetables are often stewed together, so some get over cooked and mushy, whilst others are still al dente. My version, takes longer to cook than most British versions of the recipe, but this more traditional way of cooking the dish gives it a better texture and taste.

Serves 4
  • 1 medium/large aubergine, quartered lengthwise and sliced
  • 2 medium courgettes, halved lengthwise and sliced
  • 2 bell peppers, de-seeded and cut into chunks
  • 1 large onion, cut into chunks
  • 6 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tin chopped tomatoes
  • 1 large clove of garlic, chopped or crushed
  • ½ tsp dried or 1 tsp fresh, chopped thyme
  • ½ tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tbsp fresh, chopped fresh parsley
  • black pepper, to taste
Heat 3 tbsp of olive oil in a large frying pan on a medium-high heat.
Cook the aubergine for around 10 minutes, turning regularly. When the aubergine is soft, golden brown and releases its juices when pressed, it's done! 
Remove from the pan and drain on kitchen towel.

Add a further 1 tbsp of oil to the pan and repeat the process with the courgettes. They should take around 5 minutes to soften and brown slightly. Remove from the pan, as before.

Heat a further 1 tbsp of oil in the pan and repeat with the peppers. Cook for around 5 minutes, then reduce the heat to medium. Add the onions and garlic along with another 1 tbsp oil. Sauté for a further 2-3 minutes.

Now add all of the remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer.
Throw the aubergine and courgettes back in and stir to combine.

*At this point, you can remove from the heat and chill until needed.

Continue to simmer, with the lid on for 15 minutes. 
Remove the lid and simmer for a further 5-10 minutes until most of the tomato juice has evaporated and the vegetables are tender, but not mushy. 

*If reheating from cold, place in a baking dish and cover with foil. Bake for 30-40 minutes in a medium oven 160C/150C Fan/Gas 3/320F, until piping hot.
 meat free Mondays
Serve warm or hot with sautéed or boiled new potatoes. 

Top tip:  This makes a great vegetarian lasagne filling too.

I'm linking this post to the Meat Free Mondays round-up over at Tinned Tomatoes.

Take a look at these recipes from some of my fellow food bloggers, for more delicious courgette (zucchini) based dishes:

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4 comments:

  1. I'm with you on the over stewed ratatouille, it's not really very appealing. Yours method sounds much better and having seen the finished dish, I definitely want to tuck right in.

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  2. This looks so very inviting! We were on holiday in Canada and the only dish we could eat at a small Italian restaurant was ratatouille and I'd never been fond of it. However, to my surprise, it was the most amazing dish I had ever tasted and probably prepared in a similar way to the method you've used because all the veggies were perfectly cooked and not mushy. Thank you for reminding me of how wonderful it can taste and for sharing my recipe.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Vicky, your recipe fro Hasselback courgettes looks delicious too!

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