Ratatouille

Prepare to be transported to the sunny fields of Provence with this classic French dish - Ratatouille. A delightful medley of summer vegetables including tomatoes, zucchini, bell peppers, eggplant, onions, and garlic, simmered to perfection with fragrant herbs like basil and herbes de Provence. The name itself, derived from the verb "to stir up," hints at the rich flavors and aromas that come together in this iconic Provençal stew. Originally hailing from Nice, ratatouille has become a beloved staple in French cuisine, celebrated for its vibrant colors, hearty textures, and refreshing taste. Whether enjoyed as a side dish, a light lunch, or a main course, this vegetable medley never fails to impress with its simplicity and depth of flavor. Join me in exploring the roots of this traditional dish, as we dive into the history and techniques behind creating the perfect ratatouille inspired from the Pixar Ratatouille movie. Let the aromas of garlic and basil guide you through this culinary journey, and discover why this rustic stew has captured the hearts of food lovers around the world.

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Pixar Ratatouille

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Piperade Mixture

Char bell peppers and jalapeño over the flame or in the oven. Once you've roasted your peppers, place them in a freezer bag and leave them to steam for 15 minutes. Peel peppers with paper towels and remove stems, membranes and seeds. Chopped peppers and set aside. Meanwhile chop onion, celery, carrots and minced garlic. Heat up a large skillet, add butter and olive oil and sauté the mirepoix: onion, celery and carrots for 10 minutes on medium high heat. Add garlic, cook until fragrant. Add the chopped peppers, tomatoes, thyme bouquet, herb de Provence, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Do not over season because the mixture is going to reduce. Cook 20 minutes and discard thyme bouquet. Using the food processor, roughly puree the ratatouille mixture (give a few pulses – do not puree). Pour mixture back to the skillet. Add sugar and cook on low for 30 minutes until most of the moisture is gone.

Vegetable Tian

Slice zucchini and squashes with a mandoline into 2mm cuts. Slice eggplants and tomatoes using a sharp chef knife.

Montage & Cooking

In a large oven proof skillet, spread piperade mixture and overlap slices of eggplant, tomato, zucchini and yellow squash. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle over some of the olive oil-garlic-thyme seasoning. Add a couple of crushed garlic cloves over the dish as well as fresh basil if desired. Position rack in the middle of oven. Preheat oven to 300°F/150ºC. Tent ratatouille with aluminum foil and cook for 2 hours. Set oven temp up to 350ºF/180ºC. Remove foil and cook ratatouille for 30 minutes more to roast.

Individually Plated

Line baking tray with greased parchment or silicone mat and salt bottom of the tray. Overlap tomato slice, eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash – repeat 4 more times. Season with salt, thyme and crushed garlic. Refrigerate for an hour or for up to 2 days. Drizzle some olive oil, season with pepper – Top with parchment and foil and cook at 300ºF/180ºC for 30 min. Uncover and cook for 30 mins more at 350ºF/180ºC.

Plating

Mold out hot piperade and top with vegetable tian. Bon appétit!

Ratatouille Bars Appetizers

Top chilled ratatouille over baked Cheese Cookies bars. Garnish with small mozzarella di bufala spheres, halved cherry tomatoes, crushed and toasted hazelnuts. Season with fleur de sel, ground black pepper and basil.

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