Tomato casserole with roast potatoes

Golden, crisp potatoes are cooked in a rich tomato and vegetable sauce.

Tomato casserole with roast potatoes. Credit: Freshly Picked with Simon Toohey

• serves

  6

• prep

  15 minutes

• cook

  1 hour

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

5 medium Dutch cream potatoes

Sauce

• 25 ml grapeseed oil
• 2 brown onions
• 1 carrot, peeled
• ¼ fennel, diced (you could use celery instead)
• 1 red capsicum
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 rosemary sprig
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 1 bulb garlic
• 100 ml red wine
• 2 tins Roma tomatoes
• 400 ml vegetable stock
• 3 tsp vegetable oil, for drizzling

To serve

• 3 sprigs parsley, leaves picked
• ½ lemon, zest microplaned
• 2 tsp olive oil
• Cooked couscous (optional)

Instructions

1. Place a pot filled with water over medium heat. Add potatoes (still whole) and boil until soft, about 20 minutes. Drain and place in the fridge to cool.
2. Meanwhile, add grapeseed oil to baking tray and place on medium heat. While the tray heats, dice the onion, carrot, fennel and capsicum and place in the pan. Cook for 15 minutes or until the onion is translucent.
3. Throw the smoked paprika, bay leaves, rosemary and fennel seeds into tray and cook for 30 seconds.
4. Add the red wine and cook off, add the 2 tins of tomatoes and vegetable stock.
5. Cook on a medium heat for 15-20 minutes until the liquid has reduced and thickened, adding more water if it reduces too much. Stir every few minutes to ensure it doesn't stick to the pan. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan forced).
7. Take the potatoes and with the back of a spoon or masher, squash them a little to break the skins. Drizzle with vegetable oil and place them around the baking tray submerged in the sauce.
8. Place the whole bulb of garlic (unpeeled) in the centre of the tray.
9. Put the mixture in the oven, taking care as the tray will be hot, and roast for 30 minutes or until the potatoes are golden and crispy.
10. Remove form oven and allow to cool slightly. Take out the garlic bulb out, cut off the top and squeeze the garlic over the top of everything. Top dish with lemon zest, parsley and a drizzle of olive oil. Serve with couscous.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.