Ratatouille (Julia Childs style)

From Julia: A really good ratatouille is not one of the quicker dishes to make as each element is cooked separately before it is arranged into a casserole to partake of a brief communal simmer. This recipe is the only one we know of which produces a ratatouille in which each vegetable retains its own shape and character. Happily a ratatouille may be cooked completely the day before it is to be served, and it seems to gain in flavour when it is reheated.

From me: This is how ratatouille is supposed to taste. It’s amazing and in my opinion it’s worth the extra effort over simply chopping the ingredients up and putting them in the oven. Just try it, taste it and you’ll be converted!

Ingredients (for 6-8 people as a side dish)

1lb eggplant (aubergine)
1lb zucchini (courgettes)
1lb fine, ripe, red tomatoes, peeled, seeded and juiced (to make this process easier, I get a good tin of plum tomatoes and then cut the flesh up, trying not to add to much of the liquid)
Half lb yellow onions
2 green peppers
2 cloves garlic
3 tbsp chopped parsley
6-7 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
Salt and pepper to taste
You will also need a large frying pan or saucepan with a lid and a casserole dish (for use on the hob).

Preparation
In this section of the ‘method’, the aim is to cook each of the vegetables individually to soften them and to concentrate their flavour. The latter task is achieved by cooking the vegetables slowly so they ‘render ‘or give out their juices, then basting the vegetables with these juices and then evaporating the juices off. Whilst this may seem like a cumbersome task, this is what gives this ratatouille its intense flavour. I’ve done this several times now and I’ve got it down to quite a quick process. It can be done!

1.Peel the eggplant and cut lengthwise slices about 3/8 thick, 3 inches long and 1 inch wide. Scrub the zucchini, slice off the two ends, and cut into slices about the same size as the eggplant. Place the vegetables in a bowl and toss with the salt. Let stand for 30 mins. Drain. Dry each slice with a towel.
2.Meanwhile, you can start preparing your other vegetables. Thinly slice the onions. Slice the green peppers into strips. Crush or chop the garlic. Chop up the parsley. Slice the tomato pulp into largish strips (about the same as the eggplant etc.) and remove as much juice as possible.
3.Once the eggplant and zucchini are ready, sauté them in a large frying pan in hot oil for about 1 minute on each side or until they have lightly browned. Remove to a side dish.
4.In the same pan, sauté the onions and peppers slowly (you’ll need to turn the heat down) for about 10 minutes or until tender but not browned. Stir in the garlic and season to taste.
5.Lay the sliced tomato pulp over the onions and peppers. Season with salt and pepper. Cook over a low heat for about 5 minutes or until the tomatoes have started to render their juices. Uncover, baste the tomatoes in the juices from the bottom of the pan, raise the heat and boil for several minutes, until the juice has largely evaporated.

Now is the time to combine all the ingredients. Here the method is very similar to before. We are concentrating the flavours of the vegetables together through the process of rendering their juices, basting them and evaporating the juices. You’ll be an expert by now!

6.You need to layer the vegetables in the casserole. How many layers you do will depend on the size of your casserole dish. Ideally you should start and end with tomatoes, so adapt these instructions to suit what you have. Place a third of the tomato mixture in the bottom of the casserole dish. Sprinkle 1 tbsp of parsley over the mixture. Arrange half of the eggplant and zucchini mixture over the top. Then repeat with half of the tomatoes, more parsley, the last of the eggplant/zucchini, and tomatoes and parsley again.
7.Cover the casserole dish and and simmer over a low heat for 10 minutes. Uncover, tip and baste with the rendered juices. Correct the seasoning if necessary. Raise the heat slightly and cook uncovered for about 15 minutes, basting several times until the juices have mostly evaporated. Be careful with your heat, do not let the vegetables burn at the bottom of the dish.
8.Either eat it hot with a fresh baguette or as an accompaniment to a main dish. Otherwise, leave it to cool and reheat it later (or eat it cold).