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Ratatouille
Provence's summer stew of aubergine, courgette, pepper, onion and tomato. In Guillaume Brahimi's version each vegetable is sautéed separately in olive oil with garlic and thyme, then everything simmers gently for an hour and a half with tomatoes and is finished with basil.
- Servings
- 6
- Preparation
- 15 min
- Cooking
- 1 h 50
- Total
- 2 h 5
- Difficulty
- Easy
Equipment
- Large frying pan
- Heavy pot for the simmer
Ingredients
Method
Heat a generous splash of oil in the frying pan over a low heat. Add the aubergine and a third of the garlic, season and sauté until tender. Tip into a large bowl.
Timer · 15 min15:00Add more oil, then the courgette, another third of the garlic, half the thyme and seasoning. Sauté until tender and add to the bowl.
Timer · 10 min10:00Add more oil and sauté the onion, peppers and the remaining garlic and thyme until tender.
Why Each vegetable cooks at its own pace; done separately, none turns to mush while another is still raw.
Timer · 10 min10:00Combine all the vegetables in the pot with the tomatoes and tomato juice and simmer gently for 1½ hours. Taste for seasoning and stir in the basil off the heat.
Timer · 1 h 3090:00
Substitutions
- Tomato juice → Passata thinned with a little water.
Common mistakes
- Crowding the pan: the vegetables steam and turn grey instead of colouring.
- Boiling instead of simmering: the vegetables break down completely.
Storage & reheating
Better the next day, hot or at room temperature. Refrigerate within 2 hours and eat within 3 days; it freezes well.
Allergens
None
Check labels: stock, bacon and sauces can contain further allergens.
Dietary
vegan · gluten-free
A Provençal summer
SBS introduces Guillaume Brahimi's ratatouille as a dish from Provence, made when summer vegetables are at their best. Brahimi recalls his family making it before going to the beach, so that the flavours had melded by the time they came home.
Separately, then together
Brahimi sautés each vegetable on its own, then combines them for a long, gentle simmer with tomatoes and tomato juice, until the stew is soft and creamy. Other cooks keep the vegetables in larger, distinct pieces and shorten the simmer; both styles are common.
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