I think credit for this version goes to Jo, but I am writing it up… and of course you can still eat it while watching “Edge of Darkness” for a complete retro experience.
Serves 4–6 as an accompaniment
Ingredients
Quantities are only a guide. Just don’t forget the tomatoes.
- 2 medium aubergines, cubed
- salt
- 2 red capsicum
- 2 large onions, finely chopped
- generous amounts of olive oil
- 4 zucchini, cubed or sliced
- 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
- 400g tin of tomatoes, chopped with their juice
- pepper
- parsley, chopped to be a garnish
Method
Put the eggplant cubes in a colander and sprinkle with the salt. Leave them to sweat for 20 minutes or so while you prepare the capsicum, and chop the othe vegies.
Cut the capsicum up along its flat planes, you will get about 4 to 5 pieces from a capsicum. Remove the seeds and any white ribs from the inside. Grill these capsicum “steaks” under a fierce heat until the skin blackens and blisters. Pop the capsicum into a plastic bag until they are cool enough to handle, then peel and cut into thinner slices.
Heat the oil in a large saucepan, and cook the onions until they are soft and golden.
Drain and pat dry the aubergine cubes. Add them to the onion and cook, while stirring, another couple of minutes. Add the zucchini, the garlic and a good grind of pepper, and continue to cook while stirring occasionally for five or so minutes longer. The vegies should be going golden by now.
Add the tomatoes, and let the ratatouille cook gently for another fifteen minutes or so. The cooking time will now depend on how daintilly you have cubed the vegies, and this will depend on what you wish to do with the ratatouille afterwards. Sometimes I like it all ‘rustic’ and chunky, othertimes I want it to be ‘Parisian’… anyway check it and when the vegies are to your liking…
add the capsicum and once they have heated through…
serve, sprinkled with parsley.
This is great with just about all meat and fish, with eggs or just with a bowl of rice for a healthy lunch. Doug’s kids will eat it. Mine would rather die.