Cypriot ratatouille.

Cyprus or other waxy potatoes 600g
courgettes 2
ripe tomatoes 4
aubergines 2
red onions 2
red peppers 2
flat-leaf parsley 1/2 bunch
tomato purée 2 heaped tbsp
dried oregano 1 heaped tsp
pul biber (optional) 1/2 tsp
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
olive oil 6 tbsp
  1. Preheat the oven to 210°C/fan 190°C/gas mark 6½. If the potatoes are large, you can scrub or peel them if you like - I like to leave the skin on. Cut them into 2 cm-thick slices. Slice the courgettes, tomatoes, and aubergines into 1 cm-thick rounds, discarding the ends, then peel and finely slice the onions.
  2. Halve and deseed the peppers and slice into 1 cm strips. Pick and chop the parsley leaves and keep to one side, then finely slice the stalks and keep separate from the leaves. Dissolve the tomato purée in 200 ml of just-boiled water.
  3. Place all the sliced vegetables in a large roasting tray. Scatter over the chopped parsley stalks, the dried oregano, and the pul biber if using, and season generously with about a teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Drizzle over the olive oil, and massage everything together to evenly distribute the flavours. Spread everything into an even layer and pour over the tomato water.
  4. Place in the oven and cook for 1½ hours, checking every 30 minutes to give it all a mix around with a large spoon. The briam is ready when the vegetables are soft but slightly crisp around the edges. If it isn’t quite ready, give it another 15-20 minutes. When it’s cooked, leave to cool for at least 20 minutes, before finishing with the remaining chopped parsley leaves.