Register

Ratatouille

For all refugees from the old Beeb Food Boards :-)
Chill out and chat with the foodie community or swap top tips.
NOTE: CHATTERBOX IS IN THIS FORUM

Moderators: karadekoolaid, THE MOD TEAM, Stokey Sue, Gillthepainter

User avatar
Posts: 4920
Joined: Thu Feb 21, 2013 5:52 pm
Location: North West London

Ratatouille

Postby Pepper Pig » Wed Aug 28, 2019 3:17 pm

Felicity's masterclass! What do we think?

https://www.theguardian.com/food/2019/a ... um=twitter

Site Admin
User avatar
Posts: 3253
Joined: Mon Apr 23, 2012 1:56 pm
Location: Bushey

Re: Ratatouille

Postby Sakkarin » Wed Aug 28, 2019 4:02 pm

I'll bow to Joan's opinion on that!

User avatar
Posts: 1879
Joined: Wed Apr 25, 2012 8:30 pm
Location: Provence

Re: Ratatouille

Postby Joanbunting » Wed Aug 28, 2019 4:47 pm

I should start off by saying that there are as many recipes/methods for cooking ratatouille as there are cooks in Provence.

For me , and the old lady who taught me 40 odd years ago, it would never be oven cooked - not many households had ovens. All however start with onions. garlic and olive oil. The other ingredients are then added according to their cooking time. The absolute perfectionists cook each one separately. I go sliced green and red peppers - not skinned. Then diced aubergines with a tbsp of ground coriander seeds. When they are beginning to absorb the juices the sliced courgettes and last of all quartered tomatoes. No herbs but of course salt, pepper and really good olive oil.

An eye has to be kept because the last thing you want is a soggy mess. each veg should be identifiable. It really isn't rocket science. perfect example of if it ain't broke don't fix it.

It is a peasant dish, made only in summer and is just to be enjoyed hot or cold with or without anything else. A fried egg is lovely and even better a shoulder of lamb. For veggies a gilled goats cheese works too.

As I say No-one is an expert but everyone knows what they like and how they like to do it.
Cooking for those you care about is the most profound expression of love - Anne-Sophie Pic

User avatar
Posts: 2581
Joined: Fri Apr 27, 2012 1:40 pm

Re: Ratatouille

Postby karadekoolaid » Wed Aug 28, 2019 7:37 pm

I´m very much in Joan´s camp. A peasant dish, which tastes fresh, vibrant and where the individual flavour of each vegetable is evident. No faff, no fuss, and definitely no oven.
I think on this occasion, Felicity has called a "spade" a " Single-handled -wood -and -metal-excavating-instrument-fro-the-timely-removal-of-earth".
In other words - far too complicated.
When I make it,(and I´m no expert, nor have I been to Provence in the past 50 years!) I either follow Joan´s indications or I cook each vegetable separately, then bring them all together at the end . Everything starts raw and simply gets fried or sautéed in olive oil, with s&p. I do sometimes add rosemary, or oregano, or basil - that´s about it.

Posts: 1735
Joined: Thu May 03, 2012 10:35 am

Re: Ratatouille

Postby Lusciouslush » Wed Aug 28, 2019 7:43 pm

karadekoolaid wrote:cook each vegetable separately, then bring them all together at the end . Everything starts raw and simply gets fried or sautéed in olive oil, with s&p.


That's how I have always done it with the inclusion of herb(s) of choice - hate the all-in-one mush that can happen otherwise.

User avatar
Posts: 1489
Joined: Thu Jan 14, 2016 6:07 pm

Re: Ratatouille

Postby Badger's Mate » Wed Aug 28, 2019 8:39 pm

Coincidentally I will be doing one this week. I've always followed the blessed Delia, which is broadly as above, although she puts the (salted) aubergines & courgettes in at the same time and adds basil.

The more I think about it, my very first attempts were probably following a recipe from a book by Good Housekeeping or Marguerite Patten

User avatar
Posts: 1879
Joined: Wed Apr 25, 2012 8:30 pm
Location: Provence

Re: Ratatouille

Postby Joanbunting » Wed Aug 28, 2019 8:53 pm

It is a strange thing but fresh herbs are never included here. Adding fresh basil to a cooked dish is near useless. It just doesn't keep it's flavour once cooked.
Cooking for those you care about is the most profound expression of love - Anne-Sophie Pic

Posts: 567
Joined: Thu Apr 26, 2012 3:48 pm

Re: Ratatouille

Postby cherrytree » Thu Aug 29, 2019 5:47 pm

I’m just reading Felicity’s book about her bike ride around France. (Pity she only visited the predictable culinary hotspots- a visit through the more remote areas such as the Auvergne would have been nice).
Anyway she describes in detail ratatouille, the similar one in this week’s Guardian. I wish I was more of a fan .
And no Felicity, Sete is nowhere near Marseille.

User avatar
Posts: 1879
Joined: Wed Apr 25, 2012 8:30 pm
Location: Provence

Re: Ratatouille

Postby Joanbunting » Thu Aug 29, 2019 8:39 pm

In next month's Saveurs the vegetarian dish is ratatouille cobbler ! the ratatouille contained sprigs of freh thyme
Cooking for those you care about is the most profound expression of love - Anne-Sophie Pic

Posts: 2211
Joined: Wed Dec 05, 2012 3:26 pm
Location: North West Leicestershire

Re: Ratatouille

Postby WWordsworth » Thu Aug 29, 2019 9:29 pm

Maybe ratatouille cobbler should be added to the Crimes Against Food thread.

User avatar
Posts: 8629
Joined: Fri Apr 27, 2012 2:02 pm
Location: Stoke Newington, London

Re: Ratatouille

Postby Stokey Sue » Thu Aug 29, 2019 10:25 pm

I think you’re a bit harsh on Felicity cherrytree, the point of the book was exactly that she cycled from one highlight to another

I wouldn’t make the ratatouille in the book, as it uses canned tomatoes, which I find too wet

Contrariwise, the current recipe uses only 1 tbs of olive oil, which doesn’t really seem enough

My usual version is based on that given by Elizabeth David in French Provincial Cooking, which she calls Ratatouille Niçoise
The ingredients are red peppers
coriander seeds
aubergines(disgorged with salt)
onions
tomatoes (peeled)
courgettes
olive oil (Sakkarin’s favourite unit, 2x after dinner coffee cups, so about 150ml)
parsley or basil

You soften the onions; add the garlic, peppers, aubergines & courgettes and cook gently; add the coriander seeds and tomatoes and keep going; finish with a little herb

For some reason I started leaving the coriander out at some point, I supposed someone didn’t like it as I’d always have it around

I tend to bake though these days, so much easier when making a small amount which catches easily

<whispers> canned ratatouille is nothing like the real thing but fine in place of baked beans with jacket potato and cheese or as the base for instant shakshuka

User avatar
Posts: 1879
Joined: Wed Apr 25, 2012 8:30 pm
Location: Provence

Re: Ratatouille

Postby Joanbunting » Fri Aug 30, 2019 10:45 am

Last week, as an experiment, I made a yellow ratatouille. This was simply because in the garden I had yellow courgettes and peppers, the neighbour had white aubergines and then I got some yellow pineapple tomatoes.

Because the tomatoes and peppers taste distinctly different, the end result was delicious byt M said that it didn't look like ratatouille and it didn't taste like it so wondered if I could call it ratatouille? I'll do it again when i am serving something that would look good with a sunny accompaniment.
Cooking for those you care about is the most profound expression of love - Anne-Sophie Pic

User avatar
Posts: 3146
Joined: Fri Apr 27, 2012 6:28 pm

Re: Ratatouille

Postby jeral » Fri Aug 30, 2019 12:45 pm

Sounds very tasty and would be very good for one layer in tricolour veggie lasagnes. We'll ignore the name outrages and your dislike of pasta ;)

Could you use any of those with your veal dish as yellow contrasts very well with brown?

User avatar
Posts: 1879
Joined: Wed Apr 25, 2012 8:30 pm
Location: Provence

Re: Ratatouille

Postby Joanbunting » Fri Aug 30, 2019 2:09 pm

It wouldn't go either in colour or texture. Marengo is tomato and carrot rich so not at all brown. Don't worry I'll find a match one day.

Of course if I or anyone else wanted to make a layered dish I could make red, yellow and green ratatouille from the vegetable available in the garden and market :D
Cooking for those you care about is the most profound expression of love - Anne-Sophie Pic

Posts: 567
Joined: Thu Apr 26, 2012 3:48 pm

Re: Ratatouille

Postby cherrytree » Fri Aug 30, 2019 2:20 pm

I’m enjoying the book hugely, Stokey Sue and I can’t tell you how much I love Felicity’s recipes and analyses. I use her recipes constantly as they work so well and even though I probably won’t be doing the ratatouille Im sure it will be very good indeed.
No, my gripe is the choice of places. I’m in a part of France that gets overlooked for most things mostly by the French and certainly by British travel and cookery writers. The map in the lovely book shows this clearly. I am just having my customary grumble that’s all.

User avatar
Posts: 8629
Joined: Fri Apr 27, 2012 2:02 pm
Location: Stoke Newington, London

Re: Ratatouille

Postby Stokey Sue » Fri Aug 30, 2019 8:57 pm

Fair enough cherrytree
She’s looking for a way in to the next book perhaps “off piste” could be a theme
I’ve heard her speak several times and met her once, she seems to be just as you’d expect from the book, though given to surprisingly high heels!

Posts: 567
Joined: Thu Apr 26, 2012 3:48 pm

Re: Ratatouille

Postby cherrytree » Fri Aug 30, 2019 9:24 pm

Maybe I should get in touch with her via the Guardian and suggest some places and foodie delights along the way!

User avatar
Posts: 32
Joined: Tue Dec 17, 2013 2:45 pm
Location: S.Charente, France

Re: Ratatouille

Postby Pommes » Fri Aug 30, 2019 10:58 pm

Deep into ratatouille here too, with the garden producing really well. I either bake mine if I am doing a batch, but yesterday I did just a panful to go with our BBQ'd chicken. So all veg. chopped & put in the pan with a squirt of olive oil, a sprig of bay & seasoning, & leave to cook gently under a lid. Most of mine is yellow, too, Joan, with long & round yellow courgettes & golden tomatoes. Shame about not having white aubergines, but something to look out for next summer.

User avatar
Posts: 788
Joined: Wed Apr 25, 2012 9:49 pm
Location: USA

Re: Ratatouille

Postby mark111757 » Tue Sep 10, 2019 11:01 pm

How about Marco's version

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=NTPic7MwZ78

Looks pretty nice to me

User avatar
Posts: 8629
Joined: Fri Apr 27, 2012 2:02 pm
Location: Stoke Newington, London

Re: Ratatouille

Postby Stokey Sue » Tue Sep 10, 2019 11:29 pm

It’s probably quite nice, but I gave up using Aromat (and Kub, and Vegeta) ca 1980, bit of a blunt instrument

But I’m not convinced it’s a Provençal ratatouille, it’s the use of tomato sauce that grates.

Having said that, like so many of these dishes there are variants all around the Med (cf shakshuka) and throughout the Balkans, where it is known as Güveç (pronounced djoo-vets and spelled any darn way you like). The Turkish version is often baked, but in my very limited experience it’s cooked on the hob elsewhere and more of a stew with a lot of sauce. Lebanese and Egyptian versions too.

I found Wiki when checking the spelling, quite interesting
[url]https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Güveç[/url]

Next

Return to Food Chat & Chatterbox

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 21 guests