Ratatouille with pan-seared salmon and fennel sauce
Welcome to Provence! The region where ratatouille was invented. The authentic Provençal way of preparing it is by cooking the summer vegetables separately and then combining them. This way, the vegetables cook perfectly, and you end up with the best ratatouille on the table! It's delicious when served with pan-seared salmon
Bring enough water to a boil in a saucepan so that the tomatoes are just submerged. Cut a small cross on the bottom of the tomatoes. Immerse the tomatoes in the boiling water for 10-20 seconds, then immediately rinse them under cold running water. Peel the tomatoes, cut them in half, and remove the seeds. Cut the flesh into small cubes.
Heat a splash of olive oil in a frying pan or saucepan over medium heat and sauté the bell peppers for a few minutes until softened. Set aside. Next, cook the eggplant in the same way, but for a shorter time so that all the ratatouille ingredients cook evenly. Do the same with the zucchini.
Place the bell peppers, zucchini, and eggplant in a saucepan and add the thyme and tomato cubes. Pour in 3 tablespoons of olive oil and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Mix well and let it simmer gently on low heat with a lid on for 10 minutes.
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat and sauté the fennel for 4-6 minutes until softened. Deglaze with the Noilly Prat, then add the fish stock and cream. Let the sauce reduce by a third and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Pat the salmon fillets dry with paper towels. Sprinkle both sides with salt.
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a frying pan over medium heat and place the fillets in the pan, skin side down. After 2-3 minutes, carefully flip the fillets with a spatula and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Remove the fish from the pan.
Serve the ratatouille with the salmon on top and a good drizzle of olive oil. Serve the fennel sauce on the side.