Ratatouille Niçoise

Ratatouille "on the hoof," so to speak (please forgive Louis la Vache for using that term), at the market at Antony, southwest of Paris.


Ratatouille Niçoise is a traditional French Provençal stewed vegetable dish, originating (as the name implies) in Nice. The dish, already popular, became even more so as a result of the Pixar movie of the same name.

The word ratatouille comes from touiller, which means to toss food, an appropriate name as the ingredients are tossed into the pan . Originally ratatouille was a dish for poor farmers, prepared in the summer with fresh vegetables. The original ratatouille niçoise used only courgettes (zucchini), tomatoes, poivrons (bell peppers), onion, and garlic. Most modern versions add aubergine (eggplant) to that mixture.

In France ratatouille is usually served as a side dish, but also may be served as a meal on its own (accompanied by rice, or une baguette). Ratatouille can be used as a filling for savory crêpes or in an omelette.

There are variations of ratatouille in other cuisines. American chef Thomas Keller, owner of The French Laundry restaurant in California's Napa Valley, served as food consultant to the Pixar film, "Ratatouille." The film's producer, Brad Lewis, spent two days in the kitchen of Keller's restaurant. Lewis asked Keller how he would cook ratatouille if the most famous food critic in the world were to visit his restaurant. In a moment of inspiration, Keller fanned the vegetables in a high sculptural form with a palette knife. The dish became the focus of the climactic scene in the film.

In Keller's version, a pipérade is made of peeled, finely chopped, and reduced bell peppers, yellow onions, tomatoes, garlic, and herbs. The pipérade is spread thin in a baking tray or casserole dish, then layered on top with evenly-sized thinly-sliced rounds of zucchini, yellow squash, Japanese eggplant, and roma tomatoes, covered in parchment paper, then baked slowly for several hours to steam the vegetables. The parchment is removed so that the vegetables may be roasted. To serve, the pipérade is formed into a small mound, and the vegetable rounds arranged in a fanned-out pattern to cover the pipérade base and a balsamic vinaigrette is drizzled on the plate.

Thomas Keller's version of ratatouille.

Without further ado,
À table!

Ratatouille

INGRÉDIENTS

2 1 lb. eggplants, cut into cubes
1 ¾ teaspoons plus ¾ teaspoon salt, divided
2 ½ lbs. peeled fresh tomatoes
5 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1/3 cup loosely packed, chopped fresh basil
¾ cup loosely packed, chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 ½ lbs. white onions, thinly sliced
3 red or yellow bell peppers, cored, seeded, and chopped
2 lbs. zucchini, cut lengthwise and then into ½-inch slices
1/3 cup dry white wine
1 Tablespoon herbes de provençe

MÉTHODE

1) Place a single layer of paper towels on 2 large plates.
2) Place the cubed eggplant onto the plates and sprinkle with 1 ¾ teaspoon salt. Allow the eggplant to sit for 20 minutes.
3) In a large saucepan, cook the tomatoes, garlic, black pepper, basil, and parsley, uncovered, over medium heat.
4) In a large skillet, sauté the onions and bell peppers in a small amount of olive oil over medium-high heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are very lightly browned. Remove the skillet from the heat and transfer the browned vegetables to the tomato mixture.
5) Pat the eggplant dry with a fresh paper towel and add it, along with the zucchini to the tomato mixture.
6) Cover the pot and cook the stew over low-medium heat for 45 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
7) Add the white wine, the herbes de provençe and ¾ teaspoon salt and cook for an additional 5 minutes.

Makes 12 servings.

Et voila! Bon appétit!