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Tuesday, 21 August 2007 |
my ratatouille
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It’s been on my mind to make ratatouille ever since I saw the cute movie of the same name. Not that I do a fancy one like the rat (via the technique of chef Thomas Keller) makes. No, mine is a simple stew of tomatoes, eggplant, and zucchini which are at their peak right now, and it's not strictly traditional because I don't use bell peppers. Serve this warm or at room temperature with lamb, grilled chicken, even scrambled eggs. I hope it will send your mind zooming back to a delicious taste from your childhood (if you don’t know what I’m talking about, see the movie).
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serves 4 to 6
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prep time: 15 minutes |
cook time: 1 hour
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1/4 cup olive oil
1 yellow or red onion, thinly sliced
Sea salt or regular salt
2 large white eggplants (about 3/4 pound total)
or 1 regular purple eggplant
1 pound zucchini
1 pound ripe red tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 cup dry white wine
Freshly ground pepper
Chopped basil or parsley, optional
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In a heavy 10-inch wide saute pan or Dutch oven, warm olive oil over medium heat and add onions; sprinkle with salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft and turning golden, about 5 minutes.
While the onions cook, chop the eggplant and zucchini into 1-inch chunks. Core, seed, and chop the tomatoes. Add the vegetables and thyme to the pan with the onions and stir well. Pour in the white wine and let come to a boil, then sprinkle in several grindings of pepper and a hefty pinch of salt. Stir, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until vegetables are very tender and tomatoes have melted into a sauce, about 1 hour, lifting the lid every 20 minutes or so to stir and make sure the bottom isn’t scorching (stirring will prevent this; you don’t need to add any liquid).
When the ratatouille is cooked, turn off heat and let it sit in the pan for at least 10 minutes to settle the flavors. If serving hot, stir in a handful of chopped basil or parsley, if desired. If serving later, do not add herbs. Just let ratatouille cool to room temperature in pan (and eat it then) or transfer to a container and refrigerate up to 2 days. Eat cold or at room temperature, or reheat until warm in a pan or microwave. |
To make this a complete meal: pile your ratatouille alongside some grilled lamb chops and new potatoes tossed with butter and parsley for a simple French meal.
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