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Nigel Slater’s recipe for potato-tomato stew with harissa | Food

tit is a lightly and warmly spiced vegan vegetable stew for a summer’s day. Wash 500g small potatoes, shake dry, then cut as thick as a 1 pound coin. In a wide, shallow pan, heat 6 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat, then add the potatoes and cook for about 10 minutes, turning occasionally and moving around the pan, until pale golden. Peel 4 cloves garlic and cut them into thin slices.

Halve while the potatoes are cooking 1 Red pepper and remove the seeds, cut each half into 8 slices and add them to the pan with the potatoes, along with the chopped garlic. Halve 500 g mixed tomatoes and add them to the pan, then strip 4 bristly thyme twigs of their leaves and stir with salt and a little soil black pepper

Pour 300 ml vegetable stock and stir in 2 tsp harissa paste† Bring everything to a boil, then turn the heat down to low and partially cover with a lid. Simmer for 20 minutes.

Chop a handful basil or coriander leaf, as you wish, and stir in, then bring to table. For 2 people, generous

The amount of harissa is up to you. The amount involved here gives a warm level of chili heat, aromatic rather than hot. Adjust it to your own taste.

Use different chili pastes depending on what you have in your fridge.

You can make this recipe more solid by serving it with steamed rice, but couscous is also a good idea. I like to fork chopped coriander or mint through the grain.

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