Roger Vergé’s Zucchini and Tomato Casserole (Tian de Courgettes Et Tomates)
- Total Time
- About 2 hours 30 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
Ingredients
- 3medium-sized red peppers, about ½ pound, optional
- 6medium-sized zucchini, about 1¾ pounds
- 4large red, ripe tomatoes, about 2½ pounds
- 1large onion, about ½ pound
- ⅓cup plus ¼ cup olive oil
- ½cup water
- 1tablespoon finely minced garlic
- Salt to taste, if desired
- Freshly ground pepper to taste
- 1teaspoon dried thyme or 4 sprigs fresh thyme broken into small pieces
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
249 calories; 22 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 15 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 13 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 8 grams sugars; 3 grams protein; 775 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
If the peppers are to be used, preheat the broiler. Place the peppers under the broiler and roast until they are burnt on one side. Turn and roast on the other side. Continue turning until roasted all over, top and bottom. Put in a plastic bag to cool. Peel. Discard the stems and seeds. Cut the peppers into thin strips. There should be about three-quarters of a cup.
- Step 2
Trim off the ends of the zucchini. Using a swivel-bladed vegetable cutter, trim off the sides of each zucchini, leaving intervals of green to make a pattern. Cut the zucchini on the bias into quarter-inch slices. There should be about seven cups.
- Step 3
Remove the cores from the tomatoes. Cut each tomato slice about one-third inch thick.
- Step 4
Peel the onion and cut it in half crosswise. Cut each half into very thin slices. There should be about two cups. Put the onion in a heavy saucepan.
- Step 5
Add one-third cup of oil and the water to the onion. Bring to the boil and cook over relatively high heat about 10 or 12 minutes. When ready, the onion will be nicely glazed and lightly browned. Do not burn.
- Step 6
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Step 7
Spoon the onion over the bottom of an oval or rectangular baking dish (a dish that measures about 13½ by 8 by 2 inches is ideal). Sprinkle the garlic and pepper strips over the onion.
- Step 8
Arrange a layer of tomatoes, letting them lean at an angle against the sides of the baking dish. Arrange a layer of zucchini against the tomatoes. Continue making layers until all the tomatoes and zucchini are used. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste and the thyme. Dribble the remaining one-quarter cup of oil over all.
- Step 9
Place in the oven and bake 30 minutes. Increase the oven heat to 475 degrees and continue baking about 45 minutes. At this point the top of the vegetables will be quite dark. Press the vegetables down with a flat pancake turner. Return to the oven and continue baking 15 minutes. Serve hot or cold.
Private Notes
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Comments
A brown paper bag works just as well as a plastic one to cool the roasted papers. And, it can go into the compost with the pepper skin and seeds. Packages of brown paper lunch bags are available at the supermarket (or used to be - a package of 50 lasts a long time).
Love this recipe just the way it is - the striped zucchini is crazy silly. I strip thyme from some sprigs to sprinkle over the dish in addition to the whole ones.
This was not successful for me. It was way too soupy. I suppose there must be great variations in ovens and the water content of the vegetables. It probably would have taken another 30 min. in the 475-deg. oven for all the water to be driven off. I will try it again but I will start much earlier in the day. I'll also put the thyme under one of the layers. Such a hot oven incinerated the delicate leaves on the top.
The recipe doesn't say if the onions should be covered while cooking or if they should be stirred. I partially covered the pan, and made sure the onions were submerged. I didn't stir til the last 2 or 3 minutes to make sure they didn't burn. I didn't quite understand how the author meant the layers to be constructed, so I improvised. The end product was excellent. The flavors and the texture was perfect. I served this Shabbat dinner with pan-seared halibut and roasted potatoes with zhoug spices.