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Ratatouille Edible Chesapeake, Summer 2009 By Edgar Kuschan
This vegetable stew from France’s Provence could just as well be called “nightshade stew” since it contains eggplant, tomatoes and peppers. Recipes for ratatouille abound. Some call for the vegetables to be sautéed separately in oil and then combined. In this recipe, all the ingredients are cooked together, which is more straightforward and limits the amount of oil used. Eggplant in particular is better braised than fried, when possible, due to its propensity for absorbing oil. Ratatouille is best made in the summer, when virtually all the ingredients are available fresh.
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 medium to large sweet onion such as Vidalia, diced into ⅜-inch pieces 1 tablespoon finely minced garlic ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes or a small amount of fresh hot pepper (optional) 2 large sweet bell peppers, green or red, cored, seeded and cut into ¾-inch chunks 1- 1 ¼ lbs zucchini, cut into ⅜-inch slices (Choose small or medium squash. If the squash is large, cut in half length-wise and then cut into ⅜-inch pieces on a diagonal.) 1 ½ - 2 lbs eggplant 2 ½ lbs tomatoes peeled, cored and seeded, liquid reserved ¾ teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon sugar About 15 basil leaves Black pepper to taste
In a large (13-inch) high-sided skillet with a lid or a heavy pan like a Dutch oven, cook the onion in the olive oil over medium-high heat until translucent—about 7-10 minutes. While the onion cooks, put the reserved tomato juice and any juice that may have accumulated on the bottom of the bowl of tomatoes into a sauce pan and simmer until thickened. When the onions are translucent, add the garlic and cook stirring for about 30 seconds. Be careful not to let the garlic burn. If using hot pepper, add it now, stirring for 30 seconds more. Add the sweet peppers, stir and cook for about 5 minutes.
While the peppers are cooking, peel and cut the eggplant into ¾-inch cubes. Add the eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, salt, sugar and basil leaves (coarsely torn) to the pan. Stir to combine, cover and bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat so the mixture simmers. After about 15 minutes, the tomatoes will have released their juices. Remove the lid, add the thickened tomato juice from the saucepan, and simmer until the vegetables are tender and the sauce is thickened (about 30 minutes).
Add some freshly ground black pepper toward the end of the cooking time, if desired. If the sauce is too soupy when the vegetables are tender, turn off the heat and ladle some of the sauce into another pan and boil until reduced.
Taste the ratatouille and add salt if needed.
Ratatouille is good warm or cold. Try it warm served over polenta, rice or pasta—or cold as an appetizer or side dish. Ratatouille tastes even better the second day. Serves 6-8.
Peeling and Seeding Tomatoes
The goal in preparing tomatoes for these recipes is to eliminate the skin, any white pith and the seeds, while saving the juices and the jelly surrounding the seeds, which contribute to a tomato’s overall flavor. Facilitate peeling by plunging each tomato into boiling water for 10-15 seconds and then running cold water over it.
Remove the core and skin from each tomato. Then, working over a bowl with a strainer placed in it, cut each tomato into wedges, scraping the seeds and jelly into the strainer. Place the cleaned tomato wedges into a separate bowl. When all the tomatoes are seeded, press down on the debris in the strainer to extract as much juice as possible. Discard the seeds. |
