Ratatouille

When I was a professional chef, I would make ratatouille by finely dicing each vegetable and sautéing them separately so that their colors and individual flavors would be preserved. Only when everything was cooked would I combine them together in a bowl. It looked beautiful. I believed I was at the height of my game.

My mother always said my ratatouille wasn't as good as hers. She insisted that a proper ratatouille was made by slowly cooking the vegetables together. I always disagreed until one day she made me her ratatouille the way she had learned it at home. One bite, and I knew she was right. Her version was ambrosial and embodied the rich flavors of Provence.

My Mother’s Ratatouille

PREP TIME: 10 minutes | COOK TIME: 1 hour | MAKES: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 2 Japanese eggplants, diced

• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 sweet onion, diced

• 2 green bell peppers, seeded and diced

• 3 thin zucchini, diced

• 4 tomatoes, skinned and diced

• 4 cloves garlic, mashed

• 1 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped

• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Submerge the eggplant in ice-cold water and let it sit for 10 minutes to remove any

bitterness.

2. Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook the onion and peppers over

medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, about 10 minutes.

3. Drain the eggplant well and add it to the onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, for another 10

to 15 minutes. The eggplant won’t be fully cooked but will be on its way.

4. Add the zucchini, tomatoes, and garlic, reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook, stirring

occasionally, until the eggplant and zucchini are tender, about 30 minutes.

5. Stir in the basil, season with salt and pepper to taste, and cook for 5 minutes to blend the

flavors.

Notes:

Many cooks will claim that salting an eggplant will remove its bitterness, but I learned from a

Japanese friend that soaking it in cold water works better. Sometimes, I like to burn the skins

off the peppers to introduce a smoky flavor to the ratatouille; you can do this on a grill or gas

stove.