Patsy R. Brumfield
The Southfacin’ Cook
RATATOUILLE (pronounced RAT-tuh-TOO-ee)
For you Gen Xers or Yers, this is not a recipe about a rat, who directs a clueless chef in a French restaurant. Actually, I didn’t even see that movie, but I’ve seen trailers.
Ratatouille is a veggie melange or medley that makes a great side for almost any main dish. It also keeps well in the fridge to microwave for lunch or a snack.
I like it because it’s tasty and fun to make. This approach comes from “Ten Dollar Dinners” cook Melissa D’Arabian, who married a Frenchman and advises it’s made in a special order required by her mother-in-law: Remember EZPOT.
Ratatouille
EQUIPMENT
- chopping board
- chopping knife
- paring knife
- wooden spoon
- medium dutch oven
- large bowl
- large strainer to remove veggies as they cook
INGREDIENTS
How to make ratatouille like a New Orleans native (photo by Patsy R. Brumfield/Southfacin’ Cook)
- 1 eggplant
- 1 zucchini
- 1 bell pepper (I like orange)
- 2 medium onions
- 3 medium tomatoes, cored
- 2 tablespoons garlic
- 1 tablespoon fresh or dried basil
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
- 1/4 cup red wine
- 2-3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- salt and pepper as you go along
- olive oil
LET’S GET STARTED
Wash veggies, begin to prep each in bite-size pieces. Try to keep them close to the same size for uniform cooking.
How to make ratatouille like a New Orleans native (photo by Patsy R. Brumfield/Southfacin’ Cook)
How to make ratatouille like a New Orleans native (photo by Patsy R. Brumfield/Southfacin’ Cook)
How to make ratatouille like a New Orleans native (photo by Patsy R. Brumfield/Southfacin’ Cook)
Drizzle olive oil to cover the bottom of your dutch oven, medium heat. Add eggplant pieces, little salt/pepper.
How to make ratatouille like a New Orleans native (photo by Patsy R. Brumfield/Southfacin’ Cook)
Stir occasionally. Brown 5 minutes. Remove to large bowl.
How to make ratatouille like a New Orleans native (photo by Patsy R. Brumfield/Southfacin’ Cook)
Same for zucchini, then peppers, then onions. Add more olive oil, if you need it.
Careful, you may want to lower your heat a little because a dutch oven can get very hot, even on medium heat.
EZPOT – eggplant, zucchini, peppers, onions and tomatoes. Now, it’s time for the tomatoes. They’re likely to sizzle a bit and help de-glaze pan, if the onions haven’t already.
How to make ratatouille like a New Orleans native (photo by Patsy R. Brumfield/Southfacin’ Cook)
Cook 4 minutes. Remove to the bowl with the other veggies.
In your empty pan, add garlic, herbs and wine.
How to make ratatouille like a New Orleans native (photo by Patsy R. Brumfield/Southfacin’ Cook)
After 2-3 minutes, return all veggies to the pot. Be careful not to cook too much – mooshy veggies aren’t good. Heat about 5 minutes until everything’s re-heated and coated with the herb-wine.
How to make ratatouille like a New Orleans native (photo by Patsy R. Brumfield/Southfacin’ Cook)
Remove from the heat. Add several sprinkles of red wine vinegar.
How to make ratatouille like a New Orleans native (photo by Patsy R. Brumfield/Southfacin’ Cook)
Stir gently. Check for seasoning, add salt/pepper if needed. SERVES 6.
SERVE: As a delicious side dish with almost any entree.
How to make ratatouille like a New Orleans native (photo by Patsy R. Brumfield/Southfacin’ Cook)
Come back to NewinNOLA.com for “Southfacin’ Cook,” where Patsy explains the basics to Southern cooking and eating. Contact her with suggestions, questions or requests at patsy.brumfield@gmail.com.
Click here for previous recipes from Patsy. And here is our complete list of recipes.
This work by Patsy R. Brumfield is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
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