Ratatouille is a French Provençal vegetable stew dish, referred to as ratatouille Provençale or ratatouille Niçoise. It’s also a Pixar animated movie. There is a famous scene where Remy, the cute rat who wanted to be a chef, helps the assistant in the kitchen prepare the famous ratatouille for the sneaky restaurant critic!
My ratatouille recipe is a very easy one; I usually prepare a double batch to have good leftovers. You can also freeze the ratatouille and serve it later.
It has all the Mediterranean vegetables, tasty and colorful.
Serving: 6 people
Preparation: 20 min
Cooking time: 1 ¼ hour
Ingredients:
1 onion
1 garlic clove
2 bell peppers – red or green
3 medium zucchini
1 big – or 2 medium – eggplant
3 big ripe tomatoes
2 tbsp olive oil
1 generous bunch of thyme
2 bay leaves
1 tsp cayenne pepper – to give a little spiciness
1 tbsp salt
1- Wash all the vegetables under cold running water.
2- Peel and chop the onions into large pieces.
3- Peel and finely chop the garlic
4- Remove the seeds and chop the bell peppers into cubes – 1,5 cm, ½ inch.
5- Chop the zucchini into slices – 1 cm, 1/3 inches.
6- Chop the eggplant into big cubes – 2 cm, 2/3 inch.
7- Chop the tomatoes into large cubes – 2 cm, 2/3 inch.
8- Pour the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or Le Creuset and heat over medium-high heat until shimmering.
9- Add the onions and stir until they are transparent.
10- Add the garlic and stir until it is well mixed with the onions.
11- Add the bell pepper and stir for two minutes.
12- Add the zucchini and stir for two more minutes.
13- Add the eggplant and stir until it browns and softens.
14- Season with salt and Cayenne pepper and stir to incorporate the spices well.
15- Add the tomato cubes and stir.
16- Make a bouquet with the herbs and tighten with a culinary string.
17- Cover with the lid and let it simmer for approximately an hour, or until the vegetables break down into a smooth stew, stirring occasionally.
Taste and add salt if you prefer saltier and cayenne pepper if you prefer spicier.
Before serving, remove the bouquet of herbs.
I like the ratatouille to be melted and juicy with a hint of spiciness. It is perfect to accompany a pork roast, or any white meat such as veal, chicken, or white fish. As it has a sauce, it goes very well with couscous, Israeli couscous, or quinoa. It also makes a perfect dish for vegetarians and vegans.
