PORK RATATOUILLE WITH ZUCCHINI - HÚSOS MEDITERRÁN LECSÓ CUKKINIVEL

I used so little meat for this ratatouille; it would be easy to replace it, for instance, with mushrooms or some other flavourful vegetable. Then it would be truly a vegetarian meal. I served it with nokedli and salad and it was delicious. The one thing I would insist on is barely sauté the zucchini cubes; actually just lightly sear them before adding them to the finished ratatouille. If cooked in the sauce the zucchini would absorb the liquid and become soggy. Zucchini was one of the few vegetables that did well this crazy summer.  

You can use chicken breast; it’s definitely the leanest, but at the expense of flavour. If you are addicted to hot and spicy foods, you can certainly spice this up, but in my opinion, heat will never be a substitute for flavour. Begin with making the pork paprikás. Then morph it into a ratatouille. The only difference between a paprikás and a meaty ratatouille is the amount of tomatoes and fresh peppers you use. If you have an aversion to tomato skin, peel the tomatoes before adding them to the pan. I left on the skins for added roughage and because the tomatoes will not be fully obliterated. If the tomatoes are not very juicy, you may have to add a bit of water or stock. The ratatouille should not be dry. When all’s done, lightly sear the zucchini cubes in a separate non-stick fry pan. Then just before serving add the seared zucchini cubes, heat it through and serve. This is how you make pork ratatouille with zucchini. 

PORK RATATOUILLE WITH ZUCCHINI

150-200 g lean slices of pork meat, finely chopped

salt to taste

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

1 Tbsp Hungarian paprika

4 large tomatoes, chopped

2 red peppers, chopped

1 garlic, minced

1/8 cup of water or stock, but only if needed

1 Tbsp flour

1/4 cup of cold water or cold stock

1/3 cup 14% sour cream

1 Tbsp oil + 1 Tbsp butter

2 cups of diced zucchini 

• Slice the pork and chop finely.
• Wash the zucchini and dice. If using a mature zucchini, discard the pulp.
• Heat the olive oil in a skillet on medium heat.
• Slice the onion and add to the oil.
• Lightly salt the onions and sauté until translucent.
• Add the pork and braise until no pink is showing.
• Add the chopped tomatoes, peppers, garlic and sauté for a couple minutes stirring often. If the tomatoes are not very juicy, add 1/8 cup of water or stock to start it up. Ratatouille should not be dry cooked or it will burn.
• Sauté the ratatouille on medium heat until the meat and the peppers are tender.
• Next measure 2 Tbsp flour into a small bowl and add 1/4 cup of cold water or stock.
• Stir to make a smooth paste.
• Add the flour paste to the ratatouille and stir to combine.
• Bring it back to a simmer.
• Stir in the sour cream and adjust the salt. Cover the skillet and set aside.
• In a clean non-stick fry pan, heat the oil and the butter.
• Add the diced zucchini and sear it stirring continuously.
• Add the zucchini to the pork ratatouille heat through and serve.