Ingredienti
for 6
3 tbsp olive oil
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
1 pepper
2 carrots
1 courgette (zucchini)
1 aubergine (eggplant)
3 tomatoes (otherwise a can)
1 small leek
salt
flat parsley
basil
crushed red pepper (optional)
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Ricetta
Ratatouille is a summer dish from Provence and can be eaten either warm or cold. Even though it is cooked for more than an hour it is a fresh dish that is easy to assemble. The ingredients listed include all the possibile vegetables that may be included in a ratatouille. The only essential ones are the onion, peppers and tomatoes but as for the rest, you can pick the ones that you like the most, are readily available and look the best at the supermarket. The proportions of each vegetable are by no means strict.
Traditionally all the vegetables in a ratatouille are completely cooked so that their flavours mix. The order in which the ingredients are cooked, though, is somewhat important.
Heat the olive oil in the pan and add the onion, julienned, followed by thinly sliced garlic and some salt. Leave to caramelize for about 10-15 min. Meanwhile wash and seed the pepper, cut it into strips and add. The onion and the pepper go in first because when cooked through, they give the ratatouille its distinctive lightly sweet taste.
Wash and cut coarsely (about 2 cm square) the remaining vegetables. Add them about 10 min after the peppers, cover the pan, and let them simmer for an hour. Taste and adjust for salt. The vegetables should be soft but should not lose their consistency and become mushy. For a thicker ratatouille cook uncovered until the desired amount of water evaporates. Add the herbs at the very end, just before turning off the heat to preserve the intensity of their flavour.
Serve warm or cold.
If you have the time and energy the smoothness of the ratatouille can be considerably improved by removing the skin from the tomatoes and pepper. Drop the tomatoes in boiling water for 30 seconds, cool and peel then seed them. Place the pepper under the broiler in the oven turning often so the skin chars lightly on all sides. Place in a paper bag for twenty minutes, then peel.
Grilling the vegetables beforehand introduces an interesting dimension to the flavor and results in a smokier and more dense dish.
Copyright © 2001-2009 Gianmarco Pinton
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