Ratatouille Jérôme

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 4 bell peppers, red, yellow, orange
• 1 large zucchini
• 1 large eggplant(s)
• 10 cloves garlic
• 3 shallots
• 8 large tomatoes
• 1 sprig(s) rosemary
• 3 tbsp oregano, dried
• 12 leaves of fresh basil
• 1 pack of tomatoes, pureed
• some port wine
• some olive oil, good
• Salt and pepper, colorful
• 4 chili peppers, if desired

Instructions

Working time approx. 1 hour; Total time approx. 1 hour

the classic slightly refined and extremely tasty.

Peel the shallots and 3 garlic cloves and dice very finely. Crush some mixed pepper in a mortar. Score the stem end of the tomatoes and pour boiling water over them. Let them soak in the water for about 5 minutes, then rinse with cold water and peel. Then cut into small cubes. The seeds can be used as well. However, if you don’t like them, halve the tomatoes and remove the seeds with a spoon before chopping the tomatoes. Heat some good olive oil in a large pot and sauté the shallots and garlic over medium heat for about 5 minutes, seasoning with salt and pepper. Then deglaze with a good splash or two of port wine and simmer for another 5 minutes with the lid off. Add the diced tomatoes and the packet of passata and bring to a slow boil. Remove the needles from the rosemary sprig and finely chop them with kitchen scissors. Sprinkle them into the tomato broth along with 5-6 basil leaves and the oregano. Now let the broth simmer over low heat for about 10 minutes. In the meantime, wash the bell peppers, deseed them, remove the white parts from the fruit, and chop them into bite-sized pieces. Then add the bell peppers to the tomato broth and cook for another 10 minutes. Wash the eggplant, remove the stems, and also cut them into medium-sized cubes. Then add them to the tomato broth with the bell peppers and cook for another 10 minutes. Wash the zucchini, trim the ends, and also dice them. The zucchini cubes must not be too small, otherwise they will overcook. Add the zucchini to the ratatouille and simmer for another 5-10 minutes. Season again with salt and pepper, if desired. Then turn off the heat and let the dish simmer for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, halve the remaining garlic cloves and cut them into very thin slices. Then heat some good olive oil again in a non-stick pan and let the garlic slices brown slightly over medium heat. Season with a little salt. At the very end, add the remaining basil leaves to the pan and immediately remove the pan from the heat. If you like chili peppers, cut 3-4 into rings beforehand and add them to the pan 2-3 minutes before the garlic. When serving, add one or two teaspoons of the (chili) basil garlic to decorate the top of the ratatouille and enjoy. We prefer to serve it with pasta, but my friends swear by potatoes as a side dish. But rice is also delicious, of course. I recommend a good rosé or white wine with it. Tip: You can also add smoked and streaky bacon from the start, which gives the dish a very subtle flavor.