Fr Alex's Recipes for this week

For the kitchen

Ratatouille

with Goat's Cheese

INGREDIENTS

4 tbs olive oil
2 red onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 aubergines, diced
2 red peppers, seeded and diced
1 tsp smoked paprika
2 tbs balsamic vinegar
1 tsp soy sauce
500ml passata
200g young goat’s cheese
4 courgettes (a mixture of green

and yellow looks nice), thinly sliced

For the cheese sauce

400ml milk
50g unsalted butter
50g plain flour
80g parmesan or vegetarian
alternative, finely grated

Method

Heat 1 tbs olive oil in a heavy frying pan and gently cook the red onion and garlic for 5 mins until just starting to brown. Scatter over the aubergine and red pepper and sizzle for another 4 mins, adding more oil if you need to.

Season well and stir through the paprika, then splash in the vinegar and soy sauce. Pour over the passata, then simmer for 5 mins until glossy and thick. Turn off the heat. Can be made up to two days ahead and kept in the fridge.

To make the cheese sauce, heat the milk in a heavy saucepan until simmering. In a separate pan, melt the butter and add the flour. Stir to make a paste. Slowly whisk in the hot milk and simmer gently for 2-3 mins, stirring continually until thickened slightly. Stir in the parmesan and season.

Tip the ratatouille into an ovenproof dish, then completely cover it with the cheese sauce.
Crumble over the goat’s cheese and arrange the courgette slices on top in concentric circles, alternating between green and yellow if you have them. Can be assembled several hours before cooking.

Heat oven to 220°C (200°C fan, gas 7).

Brush or drizzle the remaining oil over the courgette slices and season with sea salt.

Bake in the oven for 25-30 mins until the courgettes are cooked through and starting to brown.

Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 20 mins before serving.

"MON DIEU!"

For the bar

Negroni

Negroni Cocktail

INGREDIENTS

    1 oz Gin

    1 oz Sweet Vermouth

    1 oz Campari Bitters

METHOD
Stir with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass

3/4 filled with cracked ice.

Add a splash of soda water if desired.

Garnish with a half slice of orange.