Denise says:
Lamb at this time of the year is succulent and sweet and combines well with roasted ratatouille. Everyone has their own version of ratatouille and mine includes the regular aubergine, tomatoes, red and yellow peppers, courgettes but with the addition of sweet potatoes and seasoned with plenty of fresh thyme.
I enjoy tracking down the origin of recipes and have discovered that Ratatouille is a traditional French Provençal stewed vegetable dish that can be served as a meal on its own (accompanied by rice, potatoes, or simply French bread), or as a side dish. Tomatoes are a key ingredient, with onions, courgettes, aubergine, peppers, a little herbs de provence, and sometimes basil. All the ingredients are sautéed in olive oil. Adding plenty of fresh coriander adds much flavour to the dish.The name of the dish appears to derive from the French touiller, to stir, although the root of the first element "rat-" slang from the French Army meaning chunky stew
There is also a Maltese version of ratatouille called “kapunata”, which is very similar to its French counterpart. Kapunata is made with tomatoes, green peppers, aubergine, and garlic, and goes well with grilled fish. A comparable Spanish dish is called "pisto".
Needless to say, it is a worldwide favourite and I love the colour combination of the roasted vegetables. When writing my recipes they tend to colour co-ordinate and I hope you will agree this is a great example of delcious colours on a plate!
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 40 minutes
Serves: 6 people
Ingredients:
18 baby lamb chops (3 person)6 tablespoons fresh thyme
6 cloves fresh garlic – peeled and chopped
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 aubergines – cut in to cubes
1 red pepper – cut in quarters, deseeded and cubed
1 yellow pepper – cut in quarters, deseeded and cubed
2 Spanish onions – peeled and cut into 8 wedges
3 courgettes – halved and cut into half circles
1 large sweet potato (approximately 400g) peeled and cut into cubes
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Garnish: 2 tablespoons thyme leaves
Method
1) Pre-heat the oven to 200 C/400 F/ Gas mark 6.2) Finley chop 4 tablespoons of thyme leaves and garlic. Transfer to a bowl. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and season well.
3) Spread thyme mixture over the lamb and set aside.
4) Place the vegetables in a roasting tin, drizzle with the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil and scatter with 2 tablespoons of thyme leaves. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
5) Roast the vegetables for 5 minutes, then remove, top with the lamb and cook for a further 25 minutes.Remove the lamb from the roasting tin, cover with foil and rest for 10 minutes.
6) Return the vegetables for to complete cooking for a final 10 minutes.
To serve the stylish way: Place the vegetables on a serving plate, top with the baby lamb chops and garnish with sprigs of fresh thyme.