"If you are what you eat, then I only want to eat the good stuff" -Remy, 2007 Ratatouille is a vegetarian dish that you'd probably not be familiar with if there wasn't a movie about a rat making it. The traditional form hardly shares a resemblance to the movie's depiction. Thomas Keller (like the best chef ever) created this adaptation specifically for the movie. He dubbed this fancy looking spiral version "confit byaldi." Traditionally served next to fish, this version can be stand-alone. Trust me, you're going to want to make this.
Like the dish that you would see in the south of France, and many other Mediterranean countries, it primarily contains the same base ingredients; eggplant, onions, zucchini, pepper, tomatoes, and garlic. It's crazy easy, that hardest part is honestly putting everything together. (If it's just for you, no one will ever know if you skip this step though, shhh) So, the ingredient list kinda varies by the size of the vegetables you get. It may take more or less then what is listed. Try to get the squash, tomato and eggplant of uniform size and circumference. DON'T forget the bell pepper like I did. It's important. Deep breath. Anyone can cook.
(the photos at the bottom have abbreviated directions to follow)
Total time: 2.5 hours, Makes 4-6, unless you're really really hungry
Ingredients:
-1 medium yellow onion
-1 red bell pepper
-4 roma tomatos
-1 zucchini
-1 yellow squash
-1 Chinese eggplant
-A few cloves of garlic
-250g of whole canned San Marzano tomatoes
-Bunch of fresh rosemary
-Fresh parsley or chives to top
Directions:
1. Get a pot of water to boil. While it's heating up, score a "plus" on both ends of the tomatoes.
2. Blanch for no more than 60 seconds, remove and place into a bowl of ice-water to halt the cooking.
3. Peel the tomatoes when they cool enough to touch.
4. Using a mandolin or your amazing knife skills, slice the squash, eggplant, and tomatoes into thin slices, a couple millimeters thick.
5. Roughly chop the onion, garlic, bell pepper.
6. Throw into an oiled pan with the scrap bits from the squash, tomatoes, and eggplant. Cook on medium low. Add salt and cracked pepper to taste, other spices if desirable. (I threw in some of my dried oregano)
7. Halfway through the braise, add the canned San Marzano tomatoes and a handful of fresh rosemary, stalk and all.
8. Cook until "jam like" in consistency.
9. Optional (if you want to skip, don't use rosemary stalks and harder ends of squash): Puree the braised vegetables in a blender or food processor with a few glugs of a good extra virgin olive oil. Season if needed.
10. In a heavy bottom, 10in pan, spread the puree into a thin layer.
11. Start the fancy layering process (or not, no ones looking). Alternate vegetables (eggplant, tomato, yellow squash, zucchini), starting from the outside, working your way to the center.
12. After you lay the vegetables, place an oven safe lid, cracked, over the pan or use parchment paper with a hole to steam the vegetables.
13. Bake at 150°C (300°F) for 90minutes.
14. Let cool and plate up. Top with fresh chopped parsley and chives if wanted, a splash of nice extra virgin olive oil. Use a ring mold to arrange the "swirl" like in the movie. Or just eat it because you're too hungry to wait any longer. Forkin' Delicious.
Get the squash of similar size
Notch both ends of the tomato like this
Blanch for no more then 45 seconds, place into icewater
Use a mandolin, or knife, to cut even slices
Scraps, onions, garlic, peppers, oil
Add the canned tomatoes and rosemary
Cook until jelly like
Blend into a thick puree
Start the layering
Keeeeeeeep going
ooo fancy
Make a little lid with a vent to help steam the veggies
Bake at 300F for 90 minutes
Use a ring mold to layer the vegetables on the plate
