Here’s my recipe for an easy Provençal ratatouille, which will let you prepare this delicious traditional dish without spending too much time on it. In fact, we’ll cook all the vegetables in the same pot, without the hassle of sautéing them separately first.
There are a few secrets to making a truly appetizing ratatouille and preventing it from becoming too watery and flavorless… First of all, don’t be afraid of olive oil! While you don’t want the vegetables swimming in oil, you need to use enough so they absorb the fat well and their cooking juices blend together. Next, sauté the vegetables one after another, rather than adding them all at once.
This is especially true for eggplants, which need to release their water. Also, removing the seeds from the tomatoes prevents them from releasing too much water (and seeds) while cooking.
Finally, even though it’s not mandatory, I recommend peeling the tomatoes. Otherwise, they’ll peel themselves in the juice and produce strands of skin that aren’t very pleasant to eat!
There you go—now you know everything you need to make a delicious traditional Provençal ratatouille without any risk of making a mistake!
Hello,
I stumbled upon this site and this recipe by a roundabout way…
I love ratatouille! It’s healthy and goes well with so many things.
I cook a lot—I love it—but I also like to make my life easier: so forget tradition in this case; I cook everything together sous-vide! The flavors infuse nicely, and it doesn’t turn into mush.
Cooking takes longer, at a relatively low temperature, but you don’t have to stand there watching it.
Plus, I portion it out, and it keeps well as long as the bag isn’t opened.
Instagram: thierry_nagel
I make this all the time. Tonight I ate it cold—it’s delicious—and I have some left for lunch tomorrow. I love this recipe so much that I’m going to make it again this week… Once you try it, you’ll be hooked—give it a try and you’ll see…
Quick to make and delicious—I highly recommend this old-fashioned recipe…
Thanks, Marc—it looks really good in the pressure cooker version, too 😋
It isn't browned enough. It's best to cut the vegetables—eggplant and zucchini—into cubes (let the eggplant sit in coarse salt for half an hour to draw out the moisture), then quickly fry them in very hot (but not smoking) oil, and set them aside on paper towels.In a large pot, sauté a generous spoonful of tomato paste in olive oil (this gives it that beautiful golden-brown color), then add the bell pepper squares, the minced onion, the garlic, and the tomato. Combine all the vegetables and let them simmer for a while.You might want to try the method of another mom whose sons also love couscous.
Excellent. This is in keeping with the traditions of our ancestors.
Well done, and thank you for sharing.
Delicious! And thank you for this easy-to-make recipe. Best regards, Brigitte 🙂