Ratatouille is a bowl of summer’s bounty, elevated beyond the sum of its parts, through the magic of heat and time. Sadly, out of season ingredients, and bad preparations have left most people craving the Disney flick over the summer stew from Provence.
If you’ve ever had a good ratatouille though, it’s a memory that’s hard to forget. Large chunks of tender vegetables, impregnated with the ripe flavors of the summer sun. Juicy, but not watery, and with a rich savoriness that tastes more sinful than its virtuous ingredients indicate.
So what’s become of this French classic? Perhaps the biggest culprit is the use of poor quality ingredients. To paraphrase a computer nerd maxim: if you put garbage in, you get garbage out. The tomatoes in particular need to be grown in good quality soil and ripened by the summer sun, not some picked-green and gas ripened abomination.
The olive oil is also important because in ratatouille, it’s not merely a lubricant to keep the vegetables from sticking to the pan, it’s a seasoning. Use a bold cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil that tastes like the olives it comes from, not some cheap hack that misguidedly proclaims its “light taste”
But most importantly, ratatouille needs time. Time for the garlic, onions and bell peppers to caramelize, making them sweet and developing the lip-smacking umami that seasons the rest of the stew. Time for the thick-cut vegetables to soften, and of course time to coax the essence from each ingredient, allowing them to mingle and reduce before being reabsorbed by the zucchini and eggplant.
Traditional preparations have you cook each vegetable in separate pots, tending to each vegetable’s needs before bringing them together at the end. While I’m sure there are some traditionalists reading this that are going to be shooting death rays from their eyes at the screen, that’s not how I make my ratatouille.
I use one pot to do everything. It’s not just that it’s easier, the results taste better because all the vegetables have plenty of time to get acquainted in the pot. I also don’t peel or seed the tomatoes. If you have time, you’re welcomed to peel them, but don’t remove the seeds. Contrary to traditional wisdom, the mucilaginous membranes around the seeds contain a high concentration of glutamic acids. By tossing the seeds, you’re also losing taste.
For my last bit of culinary blasphemy, I prefer using Asian eggplants such as Japanese or Chinese ones in ratatouille because they have less seeds and tend to be less bitter. They also make nice little rondelles because of their narrow diameter.
If for some odd reason you find yourself with leftovers, try poaching an egg in the ratatouille the next morning for breakfast. I promise you won’t be disappointed.
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 55 grams garlic (~5 large cloves, roughly chopped)
- 500 grams onions (2 large onions, sliced)
- 120 grams red bell peppers (2 medium peppers, cored, seeded and sliced)
- 700 grams tomatoes (6 medium tomatoes, cored and cut into 8 pieces)
- 400 grams Japanese eggplants (3 medium eggplants, cut into 1/2-inch thick rounds)
- 700 grams zucchini (3 medium zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch thick rounds)
- 1/4 cup flat leaf parsley (roughly chopped)
- 1/4 cup basil (roughly chopped)
- 6 - 8 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 teaspoons salt (to taste)
Steps
- Add the olive oil and garlic to a large heavy bottomed pot, like a Le Creuset and sauté over medium heat until the garlic starts to brown and becomes very fragrant.
- Turn down the heat to low and then add the onions and bell peppers. Cover the pot with a lid and let the onions wilt, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. Remove the lid and sauté the vegetables until all the water released has evaporated and the onions start to brown.
- Add the tomatoes, cover the pot with the lid, and simmer until the tomatoes are soft and have released a lot of liquid.
- Add the eggplants, zucchini, parsley, basil, thyme, salt and pepper. Stir to combine and then cover with a lid and allow the vegetables to cook until tender (30-40 minutes), stirring occasionally.
- When the vegetables are soft, remove the lid and let the ratatouille continue to simmer until the excess liquid has evaporated and the stew is nice and thick. Adjust the salt and pepper to taste and serve with crusty bread.
I became obsessed with Ratatouille because of the movie! My steps are identical to yours, and I shall try using the Asian eggplant next time. I actually do have all the ingredients in my fridge right now maybe I will make it tonight!
Ok…I’ve never had Ratatouille but have wanted to try it actually because OF the movie. But, I have looked at several recipes (because I didn’t write the ingredients or instructions down while watching it) and they don’t coincide with what I thought I remembered…namely, that the little guy put the ingredients in the pot ONE at a time and in a specific order, because of their individual cooking time. Am I crazy…imagined this, or did the movie actually do it that way but it’s really irrelevant ?
Hi Marysue, in the movie, the dish Remy prepares is a modern take on ratatouille. Chef Thomas Keller from the French Laundry is often credited for creating the dish, but it’s probably been around a little longer. It’s now known as “confit byaldi ” if you’re looking for a recipe for the dish in the movie, I believe it’s in Keller’s French Laundry Cookbook.
Mark (Bittman) and Marc (Matsumoto) are my two favorite food writers.. I just made Mark’s ratatouille today which turned out very nicely, so next time I plan to try Marc’s 🙂
Just to add to this… The kitchen in the movie was designed exactly the way the kitchen is at the real French Laundry is. My friend who was a sou chef at the French Laundry for 2 years
said it was identical with the movies animation. Without the critters of course. Fun fact no?
Cool bit of trivia Scott, thanks for sharing!
I love ratatouille and have tried both cooking methods where you cook each vegetable separately and now I tried Marc’s recipe. It turned out fab and it is easy to make. So good!
I love a GOOD ratatouille!! Now I know! 🙂 Will try this out this week!
I grow a ratatouille garden every year. Ichiban and Ping Tung Eggplants, Green Zebra, Pearson and Black Pineapple Tomatoes. California Wonder peppers. So this weekend is the perfect time. I do this every year so I can put up about 20 quarts of Ratatouille. It keeps me through the winter 🙂
Made this yesterday using regular eggplant, summer squash in place of zucchini, orange peppers instead of red, and oregano in place of parsley. Most of the ingredients came straight out of my garden. It was fantastic. My 14 year old son ate two huge bowls and declared it delicious. Thanks for the recipe. I really liked your approach to this classic dish. I’ll have to check out more of your recipes.
This is simmering right nw on my stove. Cannot wait til supper.
Made the ratatouille tonight and yummo it came out wonderful! I never follow recipes to a T per say which is why I like your rustic approach its what drew me to your blog! I made a few alterations; extra herbs all fresh prob about a 1/2-3/4 cups more, 1 small can of tomato paste, yellow peppers, regular eggplant, and two small red hot peppers for just the right amount of heat (everything else included) SUPERB!!! Thickened beautifully!
Made the ratatouille tonight and yummo it came out wonderful! I never follow recipes to a T per say which is why I like your rustic approach its what drew me to your blog! I made a few alterations; extra herbs all fresh prob about a 1/2-3/4 cups more, 1 small can of tomato paste, yellow peppers, regular eggplant, and two small red hot peppers for just the right amount of heat (everything else included) SUPERB!!! Thickened beautifully!
How do you preserve your 20 quarts, freezer, hot bath canning method or pressure cook canning method? I would
Love to,do this I have all the ingredients.
Thanks , pat
Fairly close to an authentic recipe. But the black olives are missing! Mom grew up in Provence, and her family ALWAYS put in black olives. Give it a try. I usually add them in the last half hour, so that they keep most of their flavor, but still give the broth some too.
Just made it w the help of My 6 year old sous chef. Great meal and great fun!
Can this ratatouille be frozen successfully?
It doesn’t include anything that doesn’t freeze well, however you may find that the texture gets a little mushy after freezing and defrosting.
didn’t have thyme, but sure smells good and looks great! thanks for this easy ratatouille! and I love to freeze portions of ratatouille for my winter table. great way to use up the garden produce.
Good to know. Thanks!
Just made this, easy and really delicious !!
I froze a bunch of portions of this dish and found that it had indeed gone a bit mushy when I defrosted one the other day (otherwise still delicious, though). Taking a cue from the Wikipedia entry on ratatouille, I’ll probably use up the rest as a filling in savoury crepes and omelets over the coming months. This would involve chopping the veg smaller which would probably make the mushy texture less critical. I’ll probably also separate the liquid and reduce it further in a saucepan before reintroducing it to the vegetables. I keep wanting to make savoury vegetarian crepes… Read more »
This is thickening on my stove tight now. Added a little tomato paste too that I had in the fridge. Smells divine and can’t wait to try.
This is thickening on my stove tight now. Added a little tomato paste too that I had in the fridge. Smells divine and can’t wait to try.
Hi marc,
Do you think it’s possible to cook this with slow cooker?
You’ll want to brown the onions and garlic in a pan over the stove first as a slow cooker doesn’t get hot enough to make the Maillard reaction happen. You’ll also probably want to reduce the tomatoes a bit over the stove to speed things up, but you can cook everything with the zucchini and eggplant in the slow cooker.
ok one: the reason why one cooks each veg. ingredient separately is because you sear in the flavors of the veg. just like when you sear a piece of meat. that’s why that is done. two: just so others who can’t find the jap. eggplant if you salt the eggplant before you cook it and let it sit for ten minutes it cuts the bitterness you speak of.
Best Second place!
Great recipe! We used the left overs to make a healthy spaghetti sauce. Boy did my kids love that!
Hi Carole, I’m glad to hear you enjoyed it and love the idea of turning the leftovers into pasta!— Sent from Mailbox for iPhone
Seconded. Both of laughing wolf’s points are absolutely valid. I tried it your way and I’m underwhelmed. I guess, in this I’ll stay with the traditional way
Sorry to hear you were underwhelmed, but I disagree with laughing wolf in that “searing in flavors” is a myth ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Searing ). The reason for searing has to do with browning and the Maillard reaction which is achievable with this recipe if you cook it down long enough. Personally I like my ratatouille to be more stew like, but you if you want to go for over-the-top flavor, turn up the heat towards the end and let the liquid evaporate completely. This will allow the veggies to fry in the oil, encouraging browning and caramelization which should give you… Read more »
Of course, you are correct and science is on your side. The “longer cooking” however is not doing the zucchinis a favour and personally I dislike them “squishy”. I think, where we agree to disagree is the “stew”-bit. I prefer to have a mix of vegetables where you can taste the flavour of each kind of vegetable and they are not blended (this is some awkward phrasing, I’m attempting here, sorry!); so it’s about personal preference, I think. Next thing I’m attempting is your tea smoked lamb rack. I’ll post a comment if my apartment still exists after that one… Read more »
I love your recipe for this dish! What would you say to adding a few olives next time I make it?
Thanks Marie! Olive sound like a great addition, I think Kalamata or Niçoise would work best.
Hi Marc! I have another question. This dish always looks so beautiful to me before the tomato coats everything in red. Even though that tastes so delicious, I have been trying to think of a good way to maybe separate out the tomato stew part from the lovely peppers, zuchini and eggplant, and then to combine them again on the dish with the red sauce underneath the vegetables. Any ideas? Or would that just deprive those vegetables from “getting acquainted” too much? By the way, just read through your whole site and love your recipes and instructions: tonite poached salmon… Read more »
Hi Marietmsn, it’s a good question, but unfortunately it just won’t taste the same. The other thing is that the colors look great when they’re raw, but when cooked (even without the tomato), the purples and greens fade. The only way I can think of that you could retain the color and still get everything tender would be deep fry the eggplant and zucchini in olive oil and then make a separate tomato sauce. This should taste pretty good and will look good as well, but you’re still not going to get the nice intermingling of flavors that you get… Read more »
Thanks Marc. I decided to go for the great flavor. I made it last night, with olives added, and it was a great hit with everyone.
Just made this. I didn’t have eggplant on hand, so instead I added cucumber, carrots, extra yellow and orange bell peppers with some broccoli…. It is absolutely amazing.. Thank you for a delicious base recipe!!
I have, already, a surplus of greens in my garden. Three kinds of kale, purple mustard greens, red, yellow and green chard. I’ve tried to find a recipe for Ratatouille WITH greens. Can’t find. So, I’m gonna cut the stems out and scissor cut an assortment of greens, sauté them, add a little broth. Then, use them as a bed for the Ratatouille and then, place poached eggs on top! I will get back to you!
Sounds like a great idea Pamela! Maybe brown some garlic before you add the greens?
Turned out great. The standard Ratatouille veg mix a little too much the same texture for me, but placing the mix on a bed of less cooked greens really made the experience less like a side dish as did the poached egg on top. I saw other recipes that called for canned tomatoes, but I followed your suggestion and bought some organic Roma tomatoes. They were unfortunately not ripe enough to provide enough liquid, so I added some chicken broth. Next time, both for texture and color, I would try to add the zucchini and summer squash later so they… Read more »
Mark,
Notice Time Magazine, June 23d cover story, “Eat Butter. Scientists labeled fat the enemy. Why they were wrong.”
Finally!
Pam in Humboldt County, CA.
We are trying your recipe today. Your writing is divine. I’m so inspired by the magic of your words.
Thanks! Hope you enjoyed it:-)
We made it yesterday and it is super. The house smells like a country cottage. Even the children loved the aroma and were shocked vegetables could smell so wonderful.
I thought heating extra virgin olive oil made it toxic!
Hi Stu, go read this: http://scienceornot.net/2012/09/15/is-it-safe-to-cook-with-olive-oil/
In short, any oil breaks down under extreme heat and olive oil is no worse than most oils in that regard.
Hello Marc, I love your blog and I have some advice for you on this one. I’m from Nice, and my mum and my grand mother have taught me the secret to get my ratatouille right: the vegetables need to release their water and to be seared before you cook them together, or they will mash in the pot. And a good ratatouille is not mashed at all. Every piece of vegetable must be perfectly shaped, even though its been cooking for hours. It must not be watery at all. On your picture, there’s a lot of sauce. This is… Read more »
Hello Marc, I love your blog and I have some advice for you on this one. I’m from Nice, and my mum and my grand mother have taught me the secret to my ratatouille right: the vegetables need to release their water and to be seared before you cook them together, or they will mash in the pot. And a good ratatouille is not mashed at all. Every piece of vegetable must be perfectly shaped, even though its been cooking for hours. It must not be watery at all. On your picture, there’s a lot of sauce. This is way… Read more »