It’s fair to say I’m messing with a classic here. But to be fair, only a little bit. Many people will view ratatouille as an old-fashioned dish, but all the more reason to revisit it really. It’s not complicated – it just requires a little attention to detail and patience for such a simple recipe. It truly is worth buying good fresh vegetables – as always, it will show in the final flavours.
A small portion is ideal for a starter as the black garlic is memorable and creates quite a rich-tasting dish, but a larger portion eaten with some favourite fresh bread also makes a very moreish lunch or innocently indulgent supper in front of a good film.
The black garlic exudes a liquorice-like, almost truffle-like quality, while the fresh herbs lighten just enough to balance everything.
Serves 4 as a starter
1 medium onion
1 tbsp good extra virgin olive oil
1 courgette
1 small aubergine
2 fresh tomatoes
1 green pepper
1 red pepper
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
3 black garlic bulbs, finely chopped
sea salt and ground black pepper
fresh basil leaves, shredded to finish
* Sauté the onions in the oil until softened but not colouring. Dice the courgette, aubergine, tomatoes and peppers into 2cm pieces and add to the onions with the thyme leaves. Stir through and sauté on a medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the black garlic and stir through again. Now reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 15–20 minutes until the vegetables are cooked and softened. If you have a little too much moisture, just cook a little longer, uncovered, to quickly drive off the excess liquid. Season with salt and pepper and finish with shredded basil leaves.