Ratatouille

Have you ever seen the Disney movie "Ratatouille" about a rat named Remy who loves to cook, but obviously isn't allowed in kitchens because he's a rodent? He forms a friendship with a kitchen worker at a famous restaurant and together they make delicious dishes. I don't want to spoil anything if you haven't seen it, but they end up making this version of ratatouille and the day is saved. It's a wonderful and heart warming movie, and is one of my favorite animated films. 

Traditionally ratatouille is a French vegetable stew, but for the movie it is made in the style of "confit byaldi". While many chefs have been making it this way for years, Thomas Keller (7 Michelin star chef!!!) was asked to make his version for the movie and that is what I'll be sharing with you today. This is a dish best made in the summer time when squash and tomatoes are at their ripest, but I got a MANDOLIN recently and had been dying to make this dish. Also since my husband and I are in the middle of our first Whole30, I needed a large delicious vegetable dish for meal prep!

We're halfway through Whole30 and have managed to stay compliant with no slips or cheats. I really miss ketchup, BBQ sauce, and honey mustard (huge condiment person here), but other than that it has been ok. Some days we eat boring food, but then other days we get to have STEAK and vegetables like this ratatouille. There have been a few rough days (we almost didn't make it through day 10) and on day 12 I woke up with a terrible looking rash all over my face. The upside is I do feel better knowing every ingredient that goes into my body. I read every label and know that we aren't eating any added sugars or harmful chemicals. It's empowering to be in control of your diet. In the second half I hope to focus on eliminating the occasional eating after dinner (4th meal) and having a more balanced breakfast.

*This recipe is taken from Thomas Keller's confit byaldi recipe and Chefsteps.*

{Makes roughly 4-6 servings}

INGREDIENTS

half of a yellow onion (medium size)

1 red bell pepper (or equal amount of multicolored)

1-3 cloves garlic depending on taste

1 large yellow squash 

1 large zucchini

1 chinese eggplant 

4-5 large roma tomatoes

olive oil

balsamic vinegar

fresh thyme

fresh basil or parsley for garnish if desired

salt & pepper

INSTRUCTIONS 

1) Using a mandolin, slice eggplant, yellow squash, and zucchini into thin rounds (about 1/8 inch thick). Discard the hard ends but save any other scraps.

2) Get a pot of water boiling to blanch the tomatoes. Use a sharp knife to cut a small X in the top and bottom of each tomato. When the water is boiling drop the tomatoes in a let them go for about 45 seconds then dunk them in a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking.

3) Dump out the water and use this pot to make the sauce. 

4) The skin should easily peel off of the tomatoes and can be added to the pot. Use a sharp knife to slice the tomatoes as close in size as possible to the squashes and eggplant. You can try to use the mandolin here, but I find that the tomatoes are too soft and a knife works better.

5) Add sliced yellow onion and sliced bell pepper to the pot alongside your desired amount of chipped garlic and all the scraps from the other vegetables. Drizzle in a little olive oil, a sprinkling of salt and pepper, and a sprig of thyme.

6) Cook on medium heat until all vegetables are soft and jam like. Remove thyme stem. If any leaves remained on the stem, pull those off and return to pot. Pour contents of the pot into a blender.

7) Add another pinch of salt and pepper along with another hefty glug of olive oil. Blend until smooth. If it seems too thick and won't blend add a little bit more olive oil.

8) Spoon a few tablespoons into the bottom of a baking dish; just enough to thoroughly coat the bottom. I use my Le Creuset 9 inch tart pan, but any shallow baking dish will work. Reserve the leftover sauce. 

9) Stack the eggplant, squashes, and tomatoes alternating. Shingle them in the baking dish on top of the sauce. If there are any pieces left over tuck them down next to their similar veggies.

10) With the vegetables arranged drizzle olive oil around the tops and season with salt and pepper. Lay a few sprigs of thyme on top and cover with tin foil. 

11) Bake at 250 for an hour. Remove foil and bake for another 30 minutes, then broil until the top gets a touch brown, but not crusty. 

12) Mix the leftover sauce with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and salt & pepper. Taste test and determine if it needs more seasoning. 

13) Serve by spooning out the vegetables with the sauce underneath. Top with some of the balsamic mixture and fresh herbs such as parsley or basil or even more fresh thyme.

NOTES

*There are no specific measurements in my recipe because I make this by sight and taste and I'd like for you to do the same. I promise it's not hard.*

*Chinese eggplant is preferred because of it's shape, but really any eggplant will work. It just might have to be cut down to a size that matches the squashes.*

*A mandolin and a blender do help immensely in making this, and while I do think you would benefit from owning them anyway I don't want you to feel the need to go out and buy them just to make this recipe. Use a very sharp knife to cut the vegetables as thinly and evenly as possible. When making the sauce, mince all of the vegetables (onion, garlic, pepper) so that when it cooks down there won't be any large chunks. The sauce won't be completely smooth like it would be if you'd blended it, but it will still work just fine.*