The Garden calls out for Ratatouille

george — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 01:37:03 +0000

Julia Child’s famous recipe for ratatouille, it seemed too elemental to have an interesting and complex result at first glance, but her process proves this is the gold standard. It is one of extracting away water from the vegetable’s flesh, by use of salt, reduction and searing. The vegetables are cooked only in their own juices with which you are instructed to base back over their source until all liquid is cooked away. No comingling until the end. Their final marriage does not take long. Assembly and one more reduction of the liquids to just a couple of tablespoons and the nuptials are yours. Need I say that it was love, finally, at first bite. Allow a couple of hours to prepare the first time

Julia Childs Recipe for Ratatouille

1 pound eggplant
1 pound zucchini
A 3-quart, porcelain or stainless-steel mixing bowl
1 teaspoon salt
A 10- to 12-inch enameled skillet
4 tablespoons olive oil, more if needed
1/2 pound (about 1 1/2 cups) thinly sliced yellow onions
2 (about 1 cup) sliced green bell peppers
2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil, if necessary
2 cloves mashed garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
1 pound firm, ripe, red tomatoes, peeled, seeded and juiced (makes 1 1/2 cups pulp)
Salt and pepper
A 2 1/2 quart fireproof casserole about 2 1/2 inches deep
3 tablespoons minced parsley
Salt and pepper

Peel the eggplant and cut into lengthwise slices 3/8 inch thick, about 3 inches long and 1 inch wide. Scrub the zucchini, slice off the two ends and cut the zucchini into slices about the same size as the eggplant slices. Place the vegetables in a bowl and toss with the salt. Let stand for 30 minutes. Drain. Dry each slice in a towel.

One layer at a time, saute the eggplant and then the zucchini in hot olive oil in the skillet for about a minute on each side to brown very lightly. Remove to a side dish.

Mayfield Neighborhood

The Garden calls out for Ratatouille