Ratatouille
This dish is an excellent way to use up summer vegetables, especially those that have sat in the crisper for too long. The low and slow cooking time disguises any blemishes and wrinkles and turns tired vegetables into a harmony of summer flavours.
You need about 1-1.5 kg of summer vegetables like eggplants, zucchini, and capsicum. You can use equal parts of all three vegetables, or just one. There are no real rules.
Serve this ratatouille with polenta and goat’s cheese, use it as a base for baked eggs, or as a side with any grilled meats, fish, or roast chicken.
Ingredients 8
1 ‒ 1.5 kg vegetables, including eggplants (aubergines), red capsicums (peppers), and zucchini (courgettes)
salt, to taste
1 onion, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1⁄2 tsp black pepper, freshly cracked
1⁄2 cup olive oil
bay leaves, a few
2 tomatoes, ripe, chopped
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Method 5
If you're using , cut them into 3–4 cm chunks, then place in a bowl and sprinkle with salt, using 1 teaspoon of salt per eggplant. Mix well and set aside. Thinly slice the capsicum and cut the zucchini into thin rounds.
Heat the in a flameproof casserole dish over medium heat and sauté the and capsicum for 20 minutes until soft and sweet. Add the minced , ½ teaspoon salt, the and herbs and sauté for another minute.
Tip the eggplant in a tea towel and give it a good scrunch to remove the salt and liquid, then add to the dish and sauté for 5-7 minutes. Add the zucchini and tomato, mix well, then cover. Reduce the heat to the lowest setting and gently cook for 30 minutes.
Remove the lid and give everything a good stir. It's up to you when you want to stop cooking the ratatouille: 30 minutes will give you a light, fresh summer stew, while another 30 minutes or more will result in a rich colour and deep flavour as the vegetables start to fall apart and meld into each other. A final 15-30 minutes of cooking, uncovered, will thicken the ratatouille, which works well if you're looking to use it as a pasta sauce or lasagne filling.
Before turning off the heat, taste and stir through more salt and if needed.
Cornersmith's tips
We often find that kids don’t like eggplants, but if you purée the ratatouille in a food processor it turns into a cleverly disguised vegetarian sauce to use in a pasta bake or lasagne.
