There are some dishes that come to mind when you think of France – frog legs, snails and quiche, to name a few.
But without a doubt, one of the most popular French dishes is ratatouille.
However, many amateur cooks have lamented their inability to get it right, which is due to a common mistake.
Before we get to that, let’s look at the history of ratatouille, when it was first prepared, and why it’s synonymous with France.
READ MORE: A comforting winter dish that will leave your dinner guests speechless.
Ratatouille is a French dish consisting of stewed vegetables that originated in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region of France.
The name ratatouille derives from the word ‘ratatolha’ and the terms ‘ratouiller’ and ‘tatouiller’, which mean “to shake”.
Ratatouille originated in the late 18th century and is a thick vegetable stew.
What is ratatouille?
A traditional ratatouille recipe It includes tomatoes, sautéed garlic, onions, zucchini, eggplant and peppers, and a selection of herbs, such as marjoram, fennel and basil.
Some recipes suggest adding a bay leaf and thyme, while another option is a blend of dried herbs, known as Herbes de Provence, which includes marjoram, rosemary, thyme and oregano.
READ MORE: Two celebrity chefs reveal their best tips for cooking steaks
Lavender is sometimes also included.
The lack of meat in Ratatouille might be the reason it was considered a “peasant dish.”
Being a meatless dish packed with vegetables, ratatouille is also a healthy Main dish that is a more substantial alternative to soup.
Common mistake
Alexis Besseauthe executive chef of Louisiana In Adelaide, she said many people trying to make ratatouille at home make the mistake of mixing all the ingredients together at once and letting it cook.
“The most common mistake is that people just take the vegetables, put them in the oven and then let them all cook together,” Besseau explained.
How to end the “terrible” habit of forgetting vegetables in the fridge
“Then it becomes more like a puree.”
Instead, Besseau said the vegetables in ratatouille should be “a little crunchy.”
He said that a perfect ratatouille should retain a certain texture and not be like soggy mush.
Do it right
So what’s the secret to the perfect ratatouille?
Besseau said it all comes down to separating the ratatouille ingredients during the cooking process.
“Vegetables, like zucchini, eggplant, tomatoes, all have a different cooking time and texture,” she explained.
“For example, if you cook zucchini and then bell pepper together, it will start to get a puree-like texture and the bell pepper will get crunchy.
“What I like to do is first make a tomato sauce with onion, tomato, olives and thyme, and then I cook all the vegetables separately.”
He said this allowed the vegetables to retain their juices.
“And then at the end, I add the tomato sauce. I add all the different vegetables. Then I finish mixing it with all the sauce.”
He revealed that the finished ratatouille must retain “all the flavour” of the vegetables.
“But when you eat it, it has more texture,” he said.
Ratatouille is a main dish that is traditionally served with bread to soak up all those juices, but some people prefer flatbread or artisan crackers.
Others like to serve it as an accompaniment to a meat dish or combine it with vegetables such as zucchini. Some modern recipes include legumes such as chickpeas.
FOLLOW US ON WHATSAPP HERE: Stay up to date with the latest celebrity news, lifestyle and opinions through our WhatsApp channel. No comments, no algorithms and no one can see your private data.
