I normally build my ratatouilles in hot pot, starting with softening onions and other aromatics, adding aubergines, courgettes and peppers and finishing off with tinned tomatoes, tomato puree, stock and some wine. Today, I tried a different approach in the gentler heat of the slow cooker.

I layered in a similar order but none of the ingredients was fried off. A little olive oil was added on the aubergines although that probably wasn’t necessary. I also toned down the tomatoes – just sliced, baby plum tomatoes rather than tins and tubes. It cooked up over the afternoon but was quite a thin juice at the end, so I removed some, blended it and heated it with cornflour before adding back to the slow cooker.

Overall, it was a reasonably tasty meal and probably lower calorie than my regular approach. It was certainly quicker to make so I’ll keep it as an option but I’ll probably be back to my normal approach most of the time.