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Ratatouille
Servings: 10
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
- 4 slices of bacon
- 2 pounds onions
- 5 garlic cloves
- 2 pounds zucchini
- 2 pounds yellow squash
- 2 pounds green bell peppers
- 1 pound yellow bell peppers
- 1 pound red bell peppers
- 2 pounds fresh ripe tomatoes
- 2 pounds eggplant
- about 1/2 cup olive oil (the purest, extra virgin olive oil available!)
- salt to taste
- 4 sprigs of thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 sprig of rosemary
- 1 1/2 cup vegetable broth
- freshly ground pepper to taste
Directions:
Ratatouille recipes, while always consisting of the same variety of vegetables, vary widely in their preparation.
The simplest method involves throwing all the ingredients into a large pot and cooking them together. The recipe
we've included here is more involved, but we feel that the extra time is worth it. The depth of taste you will achieve
is the true, French ratatouille. In southern France, this lusty, full-bodied ratatouille is often served in a first course array
with olives, cheese, anchovies and crusty bread. It can also be served as a warm side dish.
1.Cut the bacon into ¼ inch slices. Peel the onions and chop them coarsely. Peel the garlic and crush the peeled cloves with
the flat part of the knife.
2.Cut the zucchini and yellow squash, unpeeled, into 1/2-inch cubes. Remove the stems and seeds from the bell peppers and
cut into 1/2-inch pieces. Cut the eggplant into 1/2 in cubes.
3. Remove the skins of the tomatoes by scoring the bottoms lightly with a knife, blanching in boiling water for 1 to 2 minutes,
then dropping in cold water. (The skins should peel off easily.) Chop tomatoes coarsely.
4. Put 1tablespoon of the olive oil in a large, heavy pan and add the bacon. Remove the bacon when it is cooked but not crispy;
hold aside. Add the chopped onions to the oil and bacon grease and cook until they begin to soften, (about 5 minutes). Add
the garlic. Reduce heat to very low. (All of the other vegetables will eventually be added to this pan.)
5. While the onions and garlic are cooking over very low heat, put another frying pan over high heat until it begins to
smoke, then add 1-1/2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Add enough zucchini cubes to cover the bottom of the pan. Cook
over high heat until brown on all sides. Remove the zucchini and do the same with the yellow squash. Make sure to add
more oil between each batch. Continue with the peppers, then the eggplant, adding the browned vegetables to the onion
mixture as soon as they are cooked. Do this with all the vegetable except the tomatoes.
6. When all the vegetables are browned and added to the onion pan, stir them together and increase the heat to high.
Add the salt to taste, thyme, bay leaf, and rosemary, and stir well. Add the vegetable broth then cover the pan and
place in a preheated 400-degree oven.
7. After one hour, remove pan from the oven and place ingredients of pan in a colander over a bowl. If liquid drains out
of the vegetable mixture, return the liquid to the pan and reduce it to a thick, shiny glaze.
8. When all the juices have been reduced, return the vegetables to the pan and turn the heat off. Add the chopped
tomatoes and bacon. Stir and cover. If serving as a warm side dish, let stand for ten minutes. If serving at room
temperature, let the pan stand until it comes to room temperature. The ratatouille is even better if you let it stand overnight.
9. When ready to serve, remove the bay leaf, and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Enjoy!
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