When preparing the shot, we actually cooked each of these ingredients separately, and a little ‘under’. This means that when assembling the dish on set, the vegetables are still firm enough to handle, and each ingredient is placed in a way which shows off all of the colours.

Cook and prep time: 1 hr 15 mins
Serves: 6

2 aubergines, cut into cubes
2 red onions, finely sliced
1 red pepper, de-seeded and sliced
1 green pepper, de-seeded and sliced
1 small butternut squash, peeled and chopped into cubes
1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 large courgette topped and chopped
4 large slightly over ripe tomatoes, or 1 x 400g tinned tomatoes
5 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp Herbes de Provence

To garnish

Small handful of fresh basil, chopped
Freshly ground black pepper

 

  1. Preheat the grill to high. Place the aubergine and cubes of squash on a baking tray and brush with a little oil. Grill for 10–12 minutes, until golden brown. Turn the veg over, brush with another dash of olive oil and grill for a further 5–8 minutes. 
  2. In a large frying pan, heat the remaining oil over a medium heat. Add the onions and cook for 5 minutes until they begin to soften. Add the garlic and cook for a few minutes, then add the peppers, fennel and courgette and cook for 5 minutes more, until all the vegetables are softened around the edges.
  3. If you’re using fresh tomatoes, use a knife to score a cross into the base of each tomato. Put them in a bowl, cover with boiling water and leave for a minute. Remove with a slotted spoon and peel the skin. Cut the tomatoes in half and remove the seeds with a spoon. Roughly chop the tomato flesh and add to the pan, along with the grilled aubergine, squash and Herbes de Provence. 
  4. Lower the heat, cover the pan with a tight lid and simmer gently for 20 minutes or so, until everything is cooked through. Season with the fresh basil and black pepper, just before serving.