Ingredients

Method

• 4 brinjals, roughly chopped
• 6 Woolworths exotic tomatoes, roughly chopped
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 6 T olive oil
• 4 T red wine vinegar
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 T capers, crushed
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 6 free-range egg
• 2 T butter
• 3 T sherry vinegar
• 10 g parsley, chopped

Method

Ingredients

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Place the brinjal and tomatoes onto a baking tray, season and drizzle over 4 T olive oil. Bake for 35 minutes.

2. In a large bowl, mix the vinegar, garlic, capers and lemon juice. Toss the roast vegetables with the vinegar mixture.

3. Heat the remaining olive oil in a large pan over a high heat until smoking, then crack in 3 eggs and fry for 1 minute, or until crispy and golden brown on the edges. Remove the eggs and repeat with the remaining eggs, adding more oil if necessary.

4. Add the butter and vinegar to the same pan, mix and simmer for 10 seconds until emulsified.

5. Serve the ratatouille topped with parsley, fried eggs and drizzled with the vinegar butter.

Cook's note: Eggs love vinegar, it helps to bind the proteins. Add a tablespoon to boiling water when making poached eggs and a teaspoon to the water when boiling eggs to prevent the shells from cracking. This is my take on Roger Vergé’s fried eggs in vinegar.

Find more vegetarian dishes here.

Photograph: Myburgh Du Plessis
Food assistants: Bianca Strydom, Keletso Motau & Mogau Seshoene