While this dish took a little
while to make, it was incredibly delicious and worth the trouble.
I made the ratatouille from
vegetables I picked up at the Kaiser Fremont Farmer’s Market
and their freshness really added to the taste.
Submitted by: Shirley Gilbert
RATATOUILLE AND
SAUSAGE PIE WITH CORNMEAL BISCUITS
For the cornmeal biscuits:
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup fine cornmeal
2 teaspoons sugar
11/2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
6 tablespoons cold,
unsalted butter, cut into½-inch cubes
¾ cup sour cream or plain whole milk yogurt
Milk |
For the ratatouille:
1 large eggplant (1 ½ pounds) cut into 1-inch chunks
3 small zucchini (3/4 pound), cut into 1-inch chunks
7 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¾ pound Italian sausage, casings removed
1 large onion, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 red pepper, cored and cut into 1-inch chunks
3 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 ½ pounds plum tomatoes
4 sprigs fresh thyme
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley or basil |
1. For the biscuits:
In a bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder,
baking soda and salt. Using a pastry cutter or fork, cut
in the butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Fold
in the sour cream. Gently knead mixture until it comes
together in a ball, adding a drop or two of milk if necessary.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. For the ratatouille:
In a bowl, toss eggplant and zucchini with 5 tablespoons oil; season
with ¾ teaspoon salt and ¾ teaspoon pepper. Spread vegetables
in a single layer on one or two large baking sheets (do not crowd vegetables).
Transfer to oven and roast, tossing occasionally, until
golden, about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a
large, deep, preferably oven-proof sauté pan, heat 1 tablespoon oil.
Crumble sausage into pan and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally
until golden, about 7 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to
transfer sausage to a paper towel-lined plate.
Return pan to medium
heat and add remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Stir in the onion,
pepper, garlic and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook until
softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and thyme
sprigs; simmer gently until tomatoes are cooked and mixture is stew-like,
about 10 minutes. Stir in the sausage, roasted vegetables
and parsley. If you are not using an oven-safe pan, transfer
mixture to a 2-quart gratin dish or baking pan.
Divide biscuit dough into six equal
balls. Use your palm to flatten each ball into a ½-inch-thick
disk. Arrange on top of ratatouille mixture. Brush
biscuits lightly with milk.
Transfer skillet or pan to oven
and cook until biscuits are golden, 25 to 30 minutes. Let
cool 10 minutes before serving.
Yield: 6 servings
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