Ratatouille (Provençal vegetable stew)

Name: Ratatouille (Provençal vegetable stew)
Total time: 90 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: International
Ingredients: 1 medium-large aubergine (400 g), cut into 2 cm cubes; 2 courgettes (400 g), cubed; 1 red and 1 yellow bell pepper, cubed; 4 ripe tomatoes (600 g), peeled and chopped (or 400 g canned); 1 large onion, chopped; 4 cloves garlic; 5 tbsp olive oil; 4 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1 tsp dried) and 1 parsley stalk, tied with the bay leaves as a bouquet garni; 2 bay leaves; a small handful of fresh basil; salt and black pepper to taste

InternationalFrench90 minServes 4

In the homes of Nice and Provence, ratatouille begins with the summer season, when the markets overflow with aubergine, courgette, peppers and ripe tomatoes. It is a simple country dish, and its name most likely comes from the French verb "touiller", meaning "to stir or mix"; the word was once used for a coarse stew. Cooks disagree: should the vegetables cook together or each on its own to keep its flavour? Here we follow the Niçoise method: each vegetable is browned separately, then they come together in the pot and simmer gently for about 40 minutes, giving a dish with clear colours and the scent of thyme and olive oil.

Nice and Provence, France — A summer vegetable dish from the south of France; the Niçoise method browns each vegetable separately

Origin of the dish: Nice and Provence, France — A summer vegetable dish from the south of France; the Niçoise method browns each vegetable separately

Photo: Ratatouille 001.jpg by Arnaud 25, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

Ingredients for Ratatouille

1medium-large aubergine (400 g), cut into 2 cm cubes
2courgettes (400 g), cubed
1red and 1 yellow bell pepper, cubed
4ripe tomatoes (600 g), peeled and chopped (or 400 g canned)
1large onion, chopped
4 clovesgarlic
5 tbspolive oil
4 sprigsfresh thyme (or 1 tsp dried) and 1 parsley stalk, tied with the bay leaves as a bouquet garni
2bay leaves
a small handful of fresh basil
salt and black pepper to taste

Method

Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a wide pan and stir the aubergine for 8 minutes until browned; remove.
Add 1 tbsp oil and stir the courgettes for 5 minutes until lightly browned; remove.
Add 1 tbsp oil and stir the peppers for 5 minutes; remove.
In a heavy pot, heat the remaining oil and stir the onion for 8 minutes until soft, then add the garlic for 1 minute.
Add the tomatoes, thyme, bay leaves, parsley stalk and salt and cook for 10 minutes until a sauce forms.
Add the browned vegetables and stir gently, cover the pot (ideally with baking paper pressed onto the vegetables) and simmer over very low heat for about 40 minutes, or in a 150°C oven, stirring gently once or twice.
Uncover for 10 minutes to thicken the juices, adjust the salt and pepper, remove the bay leaves and stalk, and scatter the basil at the end.
Serve warm or cold with bread, rice or grilled chicken.

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