A Provençal celebration of summer vegetables in harmony
Ratatouille is a conventional dish from the region of Provence, which is sunny and located in France. Ratatouille is known for a colourful collection of greens. Ratatouille has a simple history; it surely began as food of the poor that was made by farmers and home cooks, taking food that they were likely used to seeing a lot of and trying to make simple food with inexpensive and seasonal ingredients. Ratatouille gets its name from the French word touiller, which means to stir up. Ratatouille was made by making a mixture of eggplant, zucchini, bell pepper, onion, garlic and tomatoes in a pan with a sprinkling of herbs and olive oil and then moving them around frequently, typically over low heat to meld the vegetables
Ratatouille has moved from the humble kitchens of the countryside to an established menu, to a place in fine dining in France. Ratatouille is wonderful in its versatility. Ratatouille can be served hot, cold or at room temperature. Ratatouille can be a side dish, a vegetarian entree, a basic filling for crepes, a sandwich or a galette. Ratatouille has also entered the pop cultural debate with the 2007 animated movie by that name, where ratatouille was portrayed as a high cuisine dish with lovingly cooked layered preparations. Since then, ratatouille represents French gastronomy and the celebration of fresh, natural ingredients that were simply made without preservatives, pesticides or any sort of artificial ingredient.
Ingredients
- 1 large eggplant, diced
- 2 zucchinis, sliced into half-moons
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 medium ripe tomatoes, chopped (or
- 1 can of diced tomatoes)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Fresh basil for garnish
Instructions
Step 1: Wash all the vegetables under running water, scrubbing each of them lightly with your hands
Step 2: Get all your greens organised (cut eggplant into cubes, salt and let sit for 20 mins to remove a few bitterness; rinse and dry it). Cut the zucchini into moons, chop bell pepper and tomatoes, mince garlic and small cube onion
Step 3: In a large skillet over medium heat, we can get the eggplant going the using 1 tablespoon of olive oil and sauté to heat, golden brown and smooth; take it out from the skillet and allow it to relax for deglazing after all the vegetables are sautéed
Step 4: Then repeat the same process with the zucchini and the peppers, using more oil where needed. The reason for this process is to maintain the crispy bite of each of the vegetables, and the unique flavour of each vegetable to avoid a soggy mixed vegetable texture
Step 5: In the same skillet, add a little more oil, more onion and garlic into your skillet, until soft and fragrant. Add chopped tomatoes, thyme and oregano; let simmer for 10-15 minutes to reduce slightly. Your base should be a rich, flavorful base
Step 6: Put the sautéed vegetables back in the skillet with the tomato base. Stir messages and simmer uncovered, for 15-20 minutes. Stir occasionally and season with salt and pepper to taste. The vegetables should be tender but identifiable; you should be able to tell that they are vegetables; it shouldn’t be a mushy mix
Step 7: When you are equipped to consume, serve hot Ratatouille with some clean basil on top. Ratatouille may be served with crusty bread, couscous, rice or maybe with grilled meat. Ratatouille can be eaten the following day too, and I can guarantee that the taste could have developed even greater
Suggestions
- When dicing the vegetables, try to dice them in a way that they cook at the same rate, or you can individually fry them (this is more time-consuming)
- Ratatouille is always best the second day after cooking, so, if possible, try to prepare it a day in advance of serving
- The baked style ratatouille, which is layered and baked in an oven, is much more beautiful in presentation; however, it takes a little longer than using a pan
- To avoid the vegetables from burning, use a heavy or thick-layered pan when the vegetables simmer
- Olive oil adds richness to ratatouille, so earlier than serving, remember to drizzle the dish with a few olive oil.
