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Authentic Ratatouille Recipe Alternate Text Provence, France

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We strongly advise you to read the cooking tips before jumping to the recipe though

Introduction & history

One of the most famous French dishes in the world, ratatouille, is a humble vegetable stew hailing from the French region of Provence. The word touiller means "to toss" in French, and to make this dish, you must do just that — eggplants, zucchini, peppers, tomatoes, and other vegetables are tossed together and cooked into a vibrant dish. It can be enjoyed in a myriad of different ways, whether hot as a side dish or cold as a topping for sandwiches or buckwheat crêpes. Since the vegetables used in this recipe are all exceptionally flavorful, ratatouille is usually seasoned only with sea salt, olive oil, and cracked pepper. Of course, you can make it to taste by changing the ratio of vegetables or reducing the amount of onions and garlic in the recipe, so feel free to use any ratatouille recipe as more of a guideline than a rigid set of rules.

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Cooking tips

  • preparation and cooking method

    According to chef Joel Robuchon, "the secret of a good ratatouille is to cook the vegetables separately so each will taste truly of itself." This will enhance the flavor and texture of the stew, but if you would like to cut the cooking time, you can omit this step, making sure to at least sauté the onions and garlic before adding the rest of the vegetables.
  • eggplants and zucchini

    Zucchini and yellow squash should be firm and ripe. Zucchini with the diameter of a champagne flute is ideal; these can just be quartered lengthwise and chopped into bite-size pieces. Eggplant should also be slender and firm, with tender, shiny skin without any blemishes. If you cannot manage to find vine-ripe summer tomatoes, use good quality canned whole peeled plum tomatoes. Just dice them and ... Read more
  • herbs and seasoning

    Great quality olive oil and garlic are a must. Always use freshly ground black pepper. Additionally, you can use Provence herbs such as thyme and basil. Alternatively, feel free to experiment and add a pinch of saffron or marjoram.
  • tomatoes

    Recipes will often call for peeled tomatoes, and some even instruct you to deseed them to remove unnecessary liquid. To peel the tomatoes, you just need to blanch them shortly in boiling water, then transfer them to an ice-water bath, and you can peel away. Also, to help the peel come off easier, core the tomatoes and make a shallow X in the bottom before placing them in boiling water.
  • serving

    Ratatouille can be served with roasted meat, fish, or even eggs. It can also be served cold as an hors d’oeuvre. Try chilling the ratatouille overnight. Then, the next day, add a splash of vinegar to add some brightness to the flavor and serve in sandwiches, buckwheat crepes, or on a piece of toasted bread.

Recipe variations

Traditional Larousse Gastronomique's Ratatouille

PREP 30min

COOK 50min

READY IN 1h 20min

4.2

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Adapted from the Larousse Cuisine website, this recipe gives instructions on how to prepare a traditional ratatouille. 

Ingredients

8 Servings

3 onions

500g (1.1 lbs) tomatoes

500g (1.1 lbs) peppers (red, yellow and green)

500g (1.1 lbs) zucchini

500g (1.1 lbs) eggplants

100 ml (1/3 cup + 4 tsp) olive oil

2 cloves garlic

1 sprig of thyme

1 bay leaf

saffron threads, a pinch

pepper, freshly ground

salt, to taste

Preparation

Step 1/5

Wash and prep the vegetables. Slice the onions, core the tomatoes and cut into cubes. Halve the peppers; deseed and remove all the white parts, then cut into julienne strips. Cut the ends of the zucchini and eggplants off, then cut into cubes.

Step 2/5

Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet, and two tablespoons of olive oil in a Dutch oven.

Step 3/5

Sauté each vegetable separately in the skillet, then transfer into a Dutch oven. Start with the onions, followed by peppers, eggplants, zucchini, and tomatoes. Add a tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet before you sauté each new vegetable.

Step 4/5

Crush the garlic cloves with the palm of your hand, then add them unpeeled to the Dutch oven, together with thyme, bay leaf, and saffron. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil.

Step 5/5

Transfer to an oven preheated to 210°C/410°F to simmer for 20 minutes.

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