Eight
Medium
By Rowley Leigh
Published 2018
The quality of the vegetables is fundamental to a good ratatouille. If good, ripe, fragrant tomatoes are not available, canned plum tomatoes are a better option than a watery ‘salad’ tomato.
Char the red peppers under a hot grill or open flame until well blistered, then place them in a plastic bag and let them steam in their own heat for 20 minutes.
Heat
Cut open the peppers and remove their seeds and stalks. Peel off all the blackened skin, then cut the peppers into long strips and add them to the onion mixture. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and stew gently for a further 10 minutes.
Add
Peel the courgettes in stripes, leaving half the peel on. Cut into 1cm (½in) cubes and sauté in the last tablespoon of olive oil, in the same pan you used for the aubergines. Cook over a high heat until they colour and wilt slightly, then add to the casserole, removing it from the heat.
Blanch the tomatoes in a heatproof bowl of boiling water for 20 seconds, then refresh in cold water before peeling off their skins. Cut the tomatoes in half and remove the seeds. Chop the tomatoes into 1cm (½in) cubes and add to the casserole. Return to the heat, add