Ratatouille - Common Method

Food > Recipes > Ratatouille Common      

Recipe (12 servings makes about 4.5 litres)

1.6 kg tomato [tomate] 700 g eggplant (2) [aubergine] 500 g zucchini (2) [courgette] 700 g bell pepper (2-3) [poivron] 1 kg onion [oignon]

6 cloves garlic [ail] Herbes de Provence (basilic,thyme, parsley) olive oil [huile d'olive] salt, pepper [sel, poivre] 140 g tomato paste

Common Method

This method, or a variation, takes fewer pots, is somewhat faster, yet keeps the flavors well and is commonly used. About 65 minutes cooking.

1. Peel and drain the tomatoes (don't mind the seeds): cut out the stem cores; drop the whole tomatoes into boiling water for 2 minutes. Remove into a collander. The skin should split for easy removal; otherwise, make an X cut in the top, then peel off the skin.

2. Chop the onion and garlic. Clean the bell pepper, cut into small strips.

3. In a large cooking pot with thick bottom, put in olive oil, onions and chopped garlic. Add in the bell pepper. Cover to keep in the moisture. Cook for 20 minutes, stiring frequently, and add olive oil as necessary to prevent singing.

4. Add the peeled tomatoes and herbs de Provence. If you don't have good garden tomatoes with flavor, add a small can of tomato paste. Stirr well and cook for another 15 minutes. [35']

5. Cut the eggplant into rondelles. Cut the un-peeled zucchini into rondelles.

6. Add the eggplant and zucchini to the pot. Cook for about 30 minutes. [65']