The Cuisine

The word Ratatouille comes from Occitan ratatolha. It is also used in French (touiller, also means to toss food). Ratatouille originated in the area around present day Occitan Provença (French: Provence) & Niça (French: Nice). It was originally a common dish, prepared in the summer with fresh summer vegetables. The original Ratatolha de Niça used only courgettes (zucchini), tomatoes, green and red peppers (bell peppers), onion, and garlic. The dish known today as ratatouille adds aubergine (eggplant) to that mixture.

Ratatouille is usually served as a side dish, but also may be served as a meal on its own (accompanied by rice or bread). Tomatoes are a key ingredient, with garlic, onions, zucchini (courgettes), eggplant (aubergine), bell peppers (poivron), rosemary, marjoram, basil, bay leaf, thyme, or spices such as herbes de Provence.

There is much debate on how to make a traditional ratatouille. One method is to simply saute all of the vegetables together. Others, including Julia Child, insist on a layering approach, where the eggplant and the courgettes are sauteed separately, while the tomatoes, onion, garlic and bell peppers are made into a sauce. The ratatouille is then layered in a casserole—eggplant, courgettes, tomato/pepper mixture—then baked in an oven.When ratatouille is used as a filling for savory crepes or to fill an omelette, the pieces are sometimes cut smaller than in the illustration. Also, unnecessary moisture is reduced by straining the liquid with a colander into a bowl, reducing it in a hot pan, then adding one or two tablespoons of reduced liquid back into the vegetables.