750g potatoes- peeled and sliced ½ cm thick
4 or 5 largish tomatoes
4 tbsp olive oil
2 medium onions- thinly sliced
½ tsp dried thyme or 3 tsp of fresh thyme leaves
½ tsp fennel seeds- lightly crushed
3 cloves garlic- very thinly sliced
2 tbsp olives- pitted and sliced
salt and pepper
Add the potatoes to a pan of boiling water and cook for 5 minutes. Drain, pouring the hot water into a bowl containing the tomatoes. Remove the tomatoes after 10 seconds. They should now be easier to peel. Slice them carefully in half and cut out the core, then cut them into ½ cm slices. Fry the onions, thyme, fennel and pepper in 2 tbsp oil for 5 minutes; the onions should be lightly browned. Season with salt. Pre-heat the oven to 180c. Cover the base of a shallow baking dish with the olives and ½ the onion mixture, and over it layer the potato and tomato slices, tucking slivers of garlic in amongst them, and seasoning with a little more salt and pepper. Finally sprinkle the remaining onions and the rest of the olive oil over the top. Bake covered with foil for 20 minutes, then uncovered for another 20, or until the potatoes are done.