Home from work and in need of a quick dinner to eat earlier in the evening and then out fencing. Fencing is no fun on a full stomach!
Ratatouille is a traditional French Provençal stewed vegetable dish, formally titled Ratatouille Niçoise in reference to its city of origin. The main ingredients are tomatoes, onions, courgette, aubergine, peppers, garlic, marjoram and basil. Variations are permissible and indeed, recommended.
My Rat was: onions, aubergine, courgette, cocquina squash, coloured bell peppers, olives, chillies, garlic, oregano, marjoram, sea salt, black pepper and quartered tomatoes. Lashings of olive oil!
Into the oven pre-heated to 180C for about half an hour. Too high a heat and the veggies dry out; 180C is just right to cook through and soften the veggies without them losing all texture.
Now what?
Fish! I had a couple of tail fillets of sea bass, so butter in a skillet, fish in, skin side down, leave it ... leave it ... couple of minutes, flip once the skin is crispy and switch the heat off, allowing the fleshy side to cook through in the residual heat while I serve up.
Serve up, rat down, fish on top, sorted!
Beauty! Time to go skewer some friends ... En Garde!
