Ratatouille

Ratatouille is a vegetable stew from Provence in southern France. It is made from eggplant (aubergine in the UK), zucchini (courgette in the UK), bell peppers, onions, garlic and tomatoes, cooked in olive oil with herbs. It is served hot, warm or cold, as a side or a main with bread.

How to do it

1. Cut 1 eggplant, 2 zucchini, 2 bell peppers and 1 onion into 2 cm (¾ inch) pieces.
2. In a wide pan, sauté the eggplant, zucchini and peppers separately in olive oil until lightly browned and just soft. Eggplant takes the longest and soaks up the most oil. Set each aside.
3. In the same pan, cook the onion and garlic until soft, then add about 500 g (1 lb) of chopped tomatoes.
4. Add thyme, a bay leaf, or a bouquet garni, and cook until the tomatoes collapse into a sauce, about 10 minutes.
5. Return all the vegetables and simmer gently for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring now and then.
6. Season with salt and pepper and finish with basil and a drizzle of olive oil.

Why it works

Each vegetable cooks at a different speed and holds different amounts of water. Cooking them on their own lets each one brown and hold its shape. If you put everything in at once, the zucchini turns to mush before the eggplant is soft.

How to store it

Ratatouille often tastes better the next day. Keep it covered in the fridge for 3 to 4 days, or freeze it for up to 3 months.

Common mistakes

• Crowding the pan. The vegetables steam and turn gray.
• Undercooked eggplant. It is spongy and bitter. Cook it until creamy.
• Too little oil. Ratatouille needs a generous amount.
• Cutting pieces too small. They disappear into the sauce.

In recipes

Some recipes bake it as thin slices of vegetables in rows over a tomato sauce. This layered version is sometimes called confit byaldi. It looks different but uses the same ingredients. A "quick ratatouille" cooks everything in one pot, with a softer, more stew-like result.