Ratatouille à la Rémy

Hello Folks!!! 

"Cooking is like painting or writing a song. Just as there are only so many notes or colours, there are only so many flavours— it’s how you combine them that sets you apart”

This year marks the 15th anniversary of Pixar's Ratatouille. It's hard to believe that it's been that long since we were last in Paris learning how to cook alongside Remy, the rat and Linguini, the garbage boy.

With its summery combination of aubergines, courgettes, peppers and tomatoes, ratatouille is a beloved classic of southern French cuisine, particularly in Nice. But this simple, seasonal stew is more complex than it may seem at first glance 😉

What a delight to the eyes! Garnished with chopped herbs, spices and parmesan cheese with a gentle drizzle of red wine. Adding to the beauty of finely cut vegetables arranged most intricately with perfection, this warm rustic dish has a very homely aroma and can be devoured with buttered chunks of bread.

A stalwart of the 1980s dinner party, ratatouille always gave the impression of being an ancient peasant dish one might have picked up from some darling French countryside, when in fact, it's a relatively recent creation.

The word, which comes from the French words ratouiller and touiller which means to stir, first pops up in 1877, misspelt, in reference to a meat stew. The first dishes of the name were stews popular on the tables of southern France’s poor: less a recipe than a hodgepodge of whatever was on hand. It is not until the 1930s that it becomes associated with a 'ragout of aubergine with tomatoes, courgettes and sweet pepper'. The name Ratatouille was given by the citizens of Nice. 

You could say that ratatouille is the epitome of French cuisine—simple, local ingredients lovingly seasoned and prepared with care. Although the film, which takes place in a high-end restaurant, might make it seem like a fancy dish, it actually couldn’t be simpler. It is, after all, just a vegetable stew, like many others you might find around the Mediterranean.

“How can I describe it?

Good food is like music you can taste, colour you can smell. There is excellence all around you. You need only to be aware to stop and savour it.”- Remy 

Let’s dive into this cool summer evening's dream dinner.

RECIPE                                                                                                                         Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS

1. Eggplants (cut into chunks) - 2

2. Red onion (cut into wedges) – 2

3. Diced Tomatoes – 2 tins

4. Tomato Paste – 2 tbsp

5. Red wine - 1.5 cup

6. Zucchini (thickly sliced) - 2

7. Garlic cloves – plenty

8. Olive oil

9. Salt – to taste

10. Black pepper – 1 grinding

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Place all the ingredients in a large roasting tin or shallow baking dish and mix them together very well.

2. Put the dish in the oven and cook for 1 hour to get the vegetables slightly charred. Turn them around 2-3 times to prevent burning.

3. Turn down the oven to medium and continue roasting for 1 hour. Let all the liquid evaporate.

4. Don't forget to add generous amounts of oil, the eggplants need it.

5. You can eat it with pasta, sausages, and plenty of cheese. Or just eat it in the traditional French way – as a side dish along with boiled rice or potatoes, toasted bread and grilled meats.

 

Bon appétit les amis !!!

À bientôt 😜