Food and Drink

Clockwork Mercury Ratatouille.

The secret to making good ratatouille lies in the treatment of the eggplant by degorging it with salt to draw out the bitter juices, as described below. I usually make a large quantity and we have it for lunch the next day, or this recipe could serve four. The leftovers also make a great filling for vegetarian lasagna. The ingredients suggested may be varied, I play with it according to what is available and looks good. Recently I added slices of fennel, which was really delicious. I personally like to chop everything quite coarsely, so I taste each individual vegetable separately.

Ingredients:

Good quality olive oil

1 onion

5 cloves garlic

1 medium eggplant

1 green pepper (or red, or yellow, or all of them!)

1 zucchini

8 small-ish white mushrooms

1 large can (28oz) peeled plum tomatoes, preferably Italian.

Italian herbs, dried

Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste.

I like to add fresh herbs if they are available. You can use parsley, rosemary, oregano and basil.

Cheese for serving

First, slice the eggplant into half-inch rounds, and arrange on a plate or in a colander. Sprinkle generously with salt and leave for a half hour. The salt will draw the juices out, and once this has happened rinse the slices thoroughly in cold water and pat dry with a paper towel. After this is done, you can start actually cooking.

Warm some olive oil (about 4 tablespoons) in a large saucepan over low heat. Chop the onion and garlic and add to the oil, with a pinch of salt. Cook gently, stirring occasionally, until they onion is clear. The heat should be gentle to avoid browning the onion and garlic.

Cut the slices of eggplant into chunks, and add to the onion and garlic mixture. Cook this mixture until the eggplant starts to soften (at least 5 minutes.) You may need to add a little more oil at this stage to avoid sticking, as the eggplant seems to absorb lots of oil and can dry the pan.

Chop the zucchini and peppers, and add to the saucepan. Also add some dried herbs, and cook for a further 5-10 minutes, to bring out the flavors.

Now, open the can of tomatoes and place in a large bowl. Crush the tomatoes in your hands, squeezing them through your fingers. This gives a great texture, but watch out for bursting tomatoes! I recommend wearing an apron for this stage, if not for the whole cooking process.

Add the tomatoes to the pan, and cover. Now you can add the mushrooms too, cut in quarters. If using fresh rosemary, add it now.

Cook over gentle heat for about a half hour, stirring occasionally. I like to taste it by dunking crusty bread in the sauce, and adjust seasoning accordingly.

At this stage you can start preparing the accompaniment for the ratatouille. I like pasta, or fresh bread, or roast baby potatoes, and of course some cheese for sprinkling on top.

Add any other fresh herbs and the black pepper just before serving, and enjoy!