Ratatouille

Name: Ratatouille
Total time: 60 min
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: Provence
Ingredients: 3 medium eggplants; 4 zucchini; 3 bell peppers (1 red, 1 yellow, 1 green); 6 firm tomatoes; 3 yellow onions; 6 garlic cloves; 1 bouquet garni (thyme, bay leaf, rosemary); 1 bunch of fresh basil; 8 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil; 2 tsp sugar; 1 tsp fine salt; 1 tsp freshly ground pepper

Provençal vegetable stew

⏱ 60 minServes 4Easy180 kcal

A recipe from Le Chaudron — the cooking of France’s regions.

01 — Ingredients4 servings

3medium eggplants
4zucchini
3bell peppers1 red, 1 yellow, 1 green
6firm tomatoes
3yellow onions
6 clovesgarlic
1bouquet garnithyme, bay leaf, rosemary
1bunch of fresh basil
8 tbspextra-virgin olive oil
2 tspsugar
1 tspfine salt
1 tspfreshly ground pepper

3 medium eggplants
4 zucchini
3 bell peppers 1 red, 1 yellow, 1 green
6 firm tomatoes
3 yellow onions
6 cloves garlic
1 bouquet garni thyme, bay leaf, rosemary
1 bunch of fresh basil
8 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp fine salt
1 tsp freshly ground pepper

Serves 4. In the app, quantities adjust to the number of guests on their own — and the ingredients go straight to your shopping list.

02 — Equipment

3 large skillets or 1 large sauté pan (32 cm / 12½ in)

1 large 5 L (5 qt) cast-iron Dutch oven

03 — Method

Wash all the vegetables. Cut the 3 eggplants into even 2 cm (¾ in) cubes without peeling. Salt them generously in a colander and let them drain for 30 minutes to lose their water and bitterness.
Cut the 4 zucchini into 1 cm (⅜ in) half-moons, skin on for color. Seed the 3 bell peppers, remove the white ribs and cut into 2 cm (¾ in) strips.
Peel the 6 tomatoes by dropping them into boiling water for 30 seconds, then ice water. Core and cut into large wedges — this care is the soul of a real Provençal ratatouille.
Peel and thinly slice the 3 yellow onions into half-moons. Remove the germ from the 6 garlic cloves and crush them with the flat of a knife. Cooking each vegetable separately is the secret to a ratatouille where every ingredient keeps its character.
Rinse the eggplant and pat dry with paper towels. Heat 3 tbsp of olive oil in a large skillet and brown the eggplant over medium-high heat for 10 minutes, stirring, until evenly golden.
In another skillet, cook the zucchini in 2 tbsp of olive oil for 8 minutes until tender but still slightly crisp. Set aside. Do the same with the bell peppers for 10 minutes.
In the large cast-iron Dutch oven, cook the onions in 2 tbsp of olive oil over medium heat for 10 minutes until soft and golden. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute, then the tomatoes and bouquet garni.
Add all the separately cooked vegetables to the tomatoes with the sugar, salt, pepper and half the chopped basil. Simmer, covered, over low heat for 30 minutes so the flavors meld. Sprinkle with fresh basil.