Many Americans became familiar with the French dish "ratatouille" when the animated film of the same name produced by Pixar came out in 2007. And when I say "many Americans," I mean at least me and my then-boyfriend, Brad, who watched it holding hands at the old drive-in theater in Ruskin, Florida, and left dreaming about someday in France…The title refers to the dish, which is served at the end of the film (set in Paris), and is also a play on words about the species of the main character, Remy, a rat.
I love old drive-ins!
I loved the movie!
I do not love rats. But I now have come to know and love the real French dish, ratatouille!
In this blog I thought I’d do something that I’ve never attempted before, and that is walk you through a recipe with words and pictures—and a French recipe at that! I must admit that I’m somewhat of an amateur in the kitchen, but Brad and I have had fun trying our hand at some of the more traditional local dishes since moving here, and I thought you might enjoy getting a glimpse of this aspect of our life (as opposed to just our usual blogs with pictures of cathedrals we’ve visited or our escapades with the youth groups).
The French are known for good food and drink: the cheese, the bread, the wine, even the salt! They’re also known for many of the cooked dishes that sound as Valentine’s Day romantic as they taste: bouillabaisse, gratin dauphinois, coq au vin, tarte tatin. We have noticed that the French let food speak for itself, whereas we generally use a heavy hand with the spices and sauces in our kitchen.
Ratatouille is a stewed vegetable dish that originates in the south of France. The full name of the dish is ratatouille niçoise, which means that it comes from a city called Nice (pronounced Neese, but very nice as well I’m told!). Ratatouille is served as either a side or main dish, and as a main is eaten by itself or accompanied by bread, rice or pasta.
The French argue about what goes into "traditional" ratatouille, as well as the best way to cook it. Most ratatouille recipes include some variation of the following: tomatoes, garlic, onions, zucchini, eggplant, bell peppers, salt, pepper, oregano, basil, parsley and thyme. Some prefer to cook the veggies all together; others cook them separately and then bake them.
I got my ratatouille recipe from a charming French woman named Claire-Lise who is a fantastic cook always downplaying her food ("It’s nothing special!"), despite the fact that it’s delicious and served in hearty American as opposed to "We don’t ‘do’ doggie bags" French-sized portions.
It’s simple, healthy, filling and good, alors, on y va! Here we go!
Here are the stats:
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 35 minutes
Servings: 8
Here’s what you’ll need:
1 large onion
1 clove of garlic
3 small zucchini
1 eggplant
1/2 of each: red, yellow, and green pepper (or as you like)
4 or 5 juicy tomatoes
salt, pepper, oregano, parsley, thyme
The star players, bought at the veggie market the day before. I used two small onions instead of one, and two crazy-enormous juicy tomatoes instead of four or five regular.
French versions of the spices and oil listed above. My favorite here: the Sel de Guérande, which is a French standout.
Here’s what you’ll do*:
*Note: Like many French and family recipes, Claire-Lise’s recipe leaves room for interpretation, with general instructions and amounts (as opposed to the up to 1/16 teaspoon-specific additions you can find in many American recipes today). I’ll follow her casual lead, and you can feel free to improvise, too!
Begin by cubing all of your veggies, except the onion and garlic, which are sliced and minced, respectively.
Heat a little olive oil in a large pot.
When the pot is hot, add the onion and garlic, and sauté. Or as the French say, "faire revenir": "make them come back!" As if they had gone somewhere.
Once you have successfully captured and brought back your linguistically-escaping onions and garlic, add the rest of the chopped veggies to the pot: the three zucchinis, the eggplant, the three half-peppers and the tomatoes.
Now, SEASON!!
Like a true chef, Claire-Lise gave no indications of quantities for the salt, pepper, oregano, parsley and thyme she calls for. She says only, "Don’t add what you don’t want!" Brad and I seasoned together, and while we added all of the spices cautiously at first, we then added more and more as it cooked and we tasted.
We eventually added as salt as if it was going out of style in France. Though I’m pretty sure it’s never been in style, because they never have it on the table at other peoples’ homes when we’re over for dinner. We always have salt, pepper, and two kinds of hot sauce on the table, in case you’re thinking about coming over to our place for a meal sometime.
You cover the pot and simmer all of these ingredients together for at least 30 minutes. If you are looking for something a little less juicy (if you serve it on rice or pasta, for example) and you think there is too much juice, let it simmer without the lid on for the last 10+ minutes.
And voila! After 30-40 minutes, your ratatouille should be ready to eat. Some eat it hot, others eat it as a cold soup. Again, feel free to eat it with rice or pasta if you’re looking for something heartier.
We ate ours hot topped with a little fresh parsley and with a baguette, and it was délicieux!
That’s it for class today. Homework for next time: Do it yourself!
Or watch the film. Either way, you won’t be disappointed!
À bientôt!
Brenna
This post was originally published in my blog on May 21.
