Jamie Oliver's Courgette Gratin

Last night I made Jamie Oliver's Courgette Gratin for the first time. Surprisingly I followed the recipe and measured things out, well mostly, with the exception that I attempted to make the dish a bit healthier by substituting basmati rice with brown rice. The final dish would have tasted a bit better and been much less soggy if I had the beauty of hindsight. 

The lesson I learnt last night, and will keep in mind forever more, is that brown rice is delicious, but takes more time to cook than white rice, and is less absorbent. So next time I make this dish I will cook the rice for a little longer and in significantly less stock.

If you're wondering, this dish is also delicious cold for lunch the next day.

Basic cooking instructions:

• Slowly fry 2 thinly diced onions in lots of oil for about 15 minutes
• Add 90grams of brown rice to the pan and stir
• Throw in 4 sliced courgettes (Aussies call them zucchinis, but I was introduced to this veg in France so I naturally call it a courgette)
• Just cover with stock (I used chicken but veg would work too), simmer and stir until the courgettes are moist
• Take the pan off the heat, stir in 3 tablespoons of creme fraiche (thickened cream will do the job) and 100 grams of cheddar cheese
• Place the ingredients in an oven safe dish, sprinkle with some more cheese and bake for approximately 40 minutes
• Enjoy a delicious, simple, healthy, inexpensive dish.