Vegetable and Potato Sauté

19 September 2017

The pan is a great friends of vegetables, as it cooks them quickly, making them crunchy on the outside and tender on the inside. The trick is to add the salt at the end, when the vegetables are already sautéed, otherwise they will soften up right away or break in pieces. By using this method, they remain intact, keeping their natural color and – most important – they keep their flavor. The pan must be iron, aluminium, or copper – all materials that are great conductors of heat and guarantee the right temperature for perfect cooking. I’ve always used a cast-iron skillet; the blacker it becomes, the better it cooks. It has to be dried thoroughly on a flame after washing, otherwise it will rust.

Vegetable and Potato Sauté

FOR 4 PEOPLE

Extra-virgin olive oil

2 bell peppers, chopped

2 eggplants, sliced

4 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into small wedges

2 plum tomatoes, diced

Dried chili pepper, finely chopped, to taste

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat 3 to 4 tablespoons of oil in a large, deep skillet, then toss in the bell peppers and the eggplant slices, which should not be too big. Cook them over high heat, stirring frequently, so that a nice crust forms, and then lower the heat for a few minutes to allow them to soften. Remove them with a skimmer and set aside.

Using the same oil over high heat, sauté the potato wedges quickly, turning often, until they become soft. This will take around 15 minuts.

At this point, put the other cooked vegetables into the skillet, stir, and allow them to cook for a few minutes, then make some room and add the tomatoes. Leave them to soften for a moment, then crush them with a fork, add some chili pepper, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes more. Stir this sauce into the vegetables, using a wooden spoon.

Season with salt and black pepper, and cook for another 5 minutes over high heat, moving the skillet a lot so the flavors blend with one another and the vegetables don’t burn.

These vegetables are delicious hot, but absolutely sublime cold, even the next day. They are also excellent for filling sandwiches with crusty bread: You’ve got to try it!

Recipe courtesy of Vegan Italiano.