Confit Byaldi

• servings: 4 servings
• active time: 40 minutes
• total time: 4 hours

Ingredients

2 Red Bellpepper (Capsicum) - seeds and ribs removed

2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 teaspoon minced Garlic

½ cup finely diced Yellow Onion

340g (12 ounce) Tomatoes - peeled, seeded, and finely diced, juices reserved

1 sprig Fresh Thyme

1 sprig Flat-leaf Parsley

½ a Bay Leaf

Salt to taste

1 Green Zucchini (100g or 4ounces) - thinly sliced

1 Yellow Zucchini (100g or 4ounces) - thinly sliced

1 Japanese Eggplant (100g or 4ounces) - thinly sliced

4 Tomatoes - thinly sliced

½ teaspoon Minced Garlic

2 teaspoon Olive Oil

⅛ teaspoon Fresh Thyme Leaves

Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper

1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 teaspoon Balsamic Vinegar

Thyme

Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper.

Directions

For piperade, heat oven to 232C or 450F. Place pepper halves (cut side down) on a foil-lined tray. Roast until skin loosens, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let rest until cool enough to handle. Peel and chop finely.

Combine oil, garlic, and onion in medium skillet over low heat until very soft but not browned, about 8 minutes. Add tomatoes, their juices, thyme, parsley, and bay leaf. Simmer over low heat until very soft and very little liquid remains, about 10 minutes, do not brown; add peppers and simmer to soften them. Season to taste with salt, and discard herbs.

Heat oven to 135C (275F). Spread piperade in bottom of an 20cm (8-inch) baking dish or casserole dish.

From the side of dish, arrange a strip of alternating slices of vegetables over piperade, overlapping so that ¼ inch of each slice is exposed. Around the center strip, overlap vegetables in a close spiral that lets slices mound slightly toward center. Repeat until dish is filled; all vegetables may not be needed.

Mix garlic, oil, and thyme leaves in bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle over vegetables. Cover pan with foil and crimp edges to seal well. Bake until vegetables are tender when tested with a paring knife, about 2 hours. Uncover and bake for 30 minutes more. (Lightly cover with foil if it starts to brown.) If there is excess liquid in pan, place over medium heat on stove until reduced. (At this point it may be cooled, covered and refrigerated for up to 2 days. Serve cold or reheat in 350-degree oven until warm.)

For vinaigrette, take a tablespoon of piperade from the baking dish, combine with oil, vinegar, herbs, and salt and pepper to taste in a bowl.

To serve, heat broiler and place byaldi underneath until lightly browned. Slice in quarters and very carefully lift onto plate with spatula (preferably an offset spatula). Turn spatula 90 degrees, guiding byaldi into fan shape. Drizzle vinaigrette around plate. Serve hot.