Ratatouille

                                                            😊Ratatouille  

Serves: 4
Cooks in: 1h 15 min
Difficulty: not too tricky


Ingredients:

• 2 red onion 
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 2 aubergines 
• 3 courgettes
• 3 red or yellow peppers
• 6 ripe tomatoes
• 1/2 bunch of fresh basil (15 g)
• olive oil
• a few springs of fresh thyme
• 1 X 400gtin of quality plum tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar 
• 1/2 lemon           

Method:

1. Prep your ingredients before you start-peel and cut the onions into wedges,then peel and finely slice the garlic. Trim the aubergines and courgettes,deseed the peppers and chop into 2.5 cm chunks. Roughly chop the tomatoes. Pick the basil leaves and set aside, then finely slice the stalks.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large casserol pan of sauce pan over a medium heat,add the chopped aubergines,courgettes and peppers(you may need to do this in batches) and fry for around 5 minutes,or until golden and softened,but not cooked through. Spoon the cooked veg into a large bowl.
3. To the pan,add the onion,garlic,basil stalks and thyme leaves with another drizzel of oil,if needed.Fry for 10 to 15 minutes,or until softened and gold.
4. Return the cook veg to the pan and stir in the fresh and tinned tomatoes,the balsamic and a good pinch of sea salt and black pepper.
5. Mix well,breaking up the tomatoes with the back of a spoon. Cover the pan and simmer over a low heat for 30 to 35 minutes,or until reduces,sticky and sweet.
6. Tear in the basil leaves,finely grate in the melon zest and adjust the seasoning, if needed.Serve with a hunk of bread or steamed rice.

                                                                                                              Chef  Marius  Buzdugan