Ratatouille

Ingredients

• 2 large Aubergine
• 4 Courgettes
• 2 Yellow Pepper
• 4 large Tomato
• 5 tbs Olive Oil
• Bunch Basil
• 1 medium Onion
• 3 finely chopped Garlic Clove
• 1 tsp Red Wine Vinegar
• 1 tsp Sugar

Quantities are the original recipe’s. The cost is our own estimate — typical own-brand supermarket prices for these quantities, divided by 4 servings. TheMealDB does not state how many a dish serves, so 4 is our assumption, not theirs. Treat it as “about this much a head”, not a shopping bill.

Method

1. Halve the aubergines lengthways, then cut into 1.5cm chunks.
2. Trim the ends off the courgettes and slice into 1.5cm rounds.
3. Peel the peppers, remove the stalk and membrane, then cut the flesh into bite-sized pieces.
4. Score a cross in the base of each tomato, cover with boiling water for 20 secs, then plunge into cold water. Peel, quarter, scrape out the seeds and chop the flesh.
5. Warm 2 tbsp of the olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat and fry the aubergine for 5 mins on each side until it softens. Lift out and set aside.
6. Add another tbsp of oil and fry the courgettes for 5 mins until golden on both sides, then remove. Repeat with the peppers in the same way, using the same pan.
7. Tear the basil leaves. Soften the onion in the pan for 5 mins, then stir in the garlic and cook for 1 more min.
8. Mix in the vinegar, sugar, chopped tomatoes and half the basil. Tip the browned aubergine, courgettes and peppers back into the pan, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 5 mins.
9. Scatter over the remaining basil before serving.

These steps were written by StreetOwl from the original recipe, in British English, with every oven temperature and cooking time checked against the source. They are not the original author’s words. If anything reads oddly, the original is linked below and it wins.