Mains
French
FrenchRatatouille
The Provencal vegetable stew of aubergine, courgette, peppers and tomato, three ways. The basic is a quick one-pot, while the ultimate cooks each vegetable separately and finishes with the famous layered confit byaldi.
Vegan
Vegetarian
Gluten-free
Dairy-free
Nut-free
Ultimate version
A confit byaldi: silky tomato-pepper base topped with thinly sliced vegetables baked in a spiral.
Per serving£3.50
Total cost£14.00
Time2 hr 15 min
Ingredients for 4
- Base
- 2 red peppers , for the piperade
- 1 onion , finely diced
- 4 cloves garlic , minced
- 400 g ripe vine tomatoes , for the base
- 5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 fresh thyme sprigs
- 1 handful fresh basil
- Topping
- 1 slender aubergine , thinly sliced
- 2 courgettes , thinly sliced
- 4 plum tomatoes , thinly sliced
Method
- Roast and peel the red peppers, then blitz with sauteed onion, garlic and tomatoes into a smooth piperade. Season and spread over the base of a baking dish.
- Slice the aubergine, courgette and plum tomatoes into thin even rounds.
- Arrange the slices in tight overlapping concentric circles over the sauce.
- Brush with olive oil, season, scatter with thyme and cover with a sheet of parchment cut to fit.
- Bake at 160C fan for about 75 minutes until the vegetables are tender and yielding.
- Uncover for the final 15 minutes to lightly colour, then finish with a drizzle of olive oil and fresh basil before serving.
Equipment
- blender
- round baking dish
- mandoline or sharp knife
The three ways, side by side
Budget
Everything thrown in one pan with dried herbs for a quick stew.
Better
Vegetables browned in batches and simmered with fresh herbs and tomato.
Ultimate
A confit byaldi: silky tomato-pepper base topped with thinly sliced vegetables baked in a spiral.
