Peppery Eggplant Ragout
A peppery eggplant ragout with red wine that is low in calories yet prepared with olive oil, a quasi-vegetarian hare pepper.
Ingredients
- 150 g beetroot
- 4 onions
- 2 Garlic cloves
- 3 sprigs thyme
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 750 ml dry red wine
- 400 ml classic vegetable broth
- 2 tsp pickled green peppercorns
- 800 g large eggplants (2 large)
- Salt
- 1 tsp tomato paste
- 5 stems parsley
- Pepper
Instructions
-
1.
Peel the beetroot with a paring knife (consider disposable kitchen gloves due to its staining power) and cut into 2 cm cubes.
-
2.
Peel onions and garlic. Finely chop one onion and one garlic clove each. Rinse thyme, shake dry, and pluck the leaves.
-
3.
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pot, add onion, garlic, thyme, and beetroot; sauté over medium heat for 10 minutes while stirring.
-
4.
Add red wine, reduce over low heat until only about a quarter of the liquid remains (reduce).
-
5.
Pour in vegetable broth and let everything reduce by half.
-
6.
Drain peppercorns. Strain the sauce through a fine sieve. Slightly crush the peppercorns and add them back to the sauce.
-
7.
Wash eggplants, pat dry, cut into ~2 cm cubes, lightly salt, spread on kitchen paper and let sit briefly.
-
8.
Dice remaining onions finely; slice remaining garlic thinly.
-
9.
Heat the rest of the oil in a heavy pan or pot. Sauté the eggplant cubes, turning frequently until browned.
-
10.
Remove eggplants. Sauté onions and garlic in the residual fat.
-
11.
Add tomato paste and cook briefly.
-
12.
Return eggplant cubes and red wine sauce to the pan, bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 12–15 minutes over low heat.
-
13.
Rinse parsley, shake dry, pluck leaves, roughly chop, and fold into the ragout about 3 minutes before the end of cooking. Season with salt and pepper, serve hot. Pair with creamy polenta or mashed potatoes.
