If you are tired of ratatouille with over-cooked mushy vegetables, it is because the vegetables have all been thrown into a pan together and overcooked. This recipe is the correct way of cooking ratatouille.

Serves 4

Ingredients

4 Courgettes (or zucchini)
2 Aubergines (or egg plant)
4 ripened Tomatoes
3 small Green peppers
1 Medium Red pepper
1 Medium to large Onion or 4 to 5 small fresh onions
2 cloves Garlic
Parsley, chopped
Basil, chopped
Salt and groundPepper
Olive oil for cooking

Preparation
The order of cooking is important. Keep the vegetables separate when preparing them.

Slice the onion and chop the garlic finely.

Cut the peppers in two and remove the storks, seeds and white fleshy parts, then cut into 1/2 inch squares.

Without peeling them, cube the Aubergines and courgettes to an equivalent size.

Remove the stem and seeds from the tomatoes and cut the flesh into small pieces.

Chop the parsley and basil.

In a frying pan, sauté the onion, garlic and peppers in olive oil over a brisk heat, stirring frequently. Season with salt and pepper.

When the peppers are 3/4 cooked (they should still be crunchy), remove from pan and keep warm.

Sauté the aubergines until they are cooked through and golden. Set aside with the peppers.

Sauté the courgettes, adding the tomatoes and parsley as they start to golden, and cook for a further 2 to 3 minutes.

Return the peppers and aubergines to the pan, mix all the vegetables thoroughly and add the basil.

A Regional Variation is to pre cook a chicken and strip all the meat. Add the meat to the ratatouille and finally fry an egg for each person and lay on top of the ratatuoille.

Transfer to a serving dish to serve.