I’m a big believer in traveling via food — fork traveling? — so when my lovely friend Kristin Espinasse posted a photo of a delectable-looking dish of braised meat and summer vegetables, I ran to the market so I could recreate it myself. She called it “ratatouillaise” and it’s a hybrid of that quintessentially summer stew, ratatouille, and Italy’s beloved export, bolognese.
Kristin lives in Provence, which is one of my favorite places, the region where we enjoyed six years of happy holidays, renting the same house in the village of Bonnieux. I used to spend the mornings meal planning and marketing, followed by lunch at a local café, a long, lazy afternoon by the pool, cocktail hour, which edged into cooking dinner, and the joy of touching all that beautiful local produce. Repeat, repeat, repeat.
A few years ago, the house we used to rent was sold, and now Provence is only a memory. I keep a lavender pillow on the bench in my entry hall and when I brush against it, the fragrance is like a time machine, sending me back to the days when vacation meant simply throwing a bathing suit in a bag and hopping on a plane (and not worrying about nap schedules, toddler jet lag, if prune juice is available in France, etc. etc. etc. :)
With the days long and bright, what better way to revisit my beloved Bonnieux with this dish that sings of hot sunshine, cicada calls, and sprigs of thyme springing from garden cracks? Kristin was inspired by a recipe from Yvon Kergal, an artist, bon vivant, and mutual Facebook acquaintance who lives in Le Cannet des Maures. To prepare my version, I first read this article from Felicity Cloake, which explores several ratatouille methods, and then devised my own.
The key to an authentic (exceptional?) ratatouille is that all the different vegetables are cooked separately, then combined and cooked together slowly. Though tedious and time-consuming, Felicity Cloake notes that this makes the difference between “creamy soft vegetables,” with an “intense, almost jammy sauce that sings of the sun,” and “just plain vegetable stew.” So, yes, I scalded the tomatoes, roasted the red peppers, and teased away all the clinging bits of skin.
As Yvon recommended, I peeled the eggplant and courgettes in stripes, then cut them into small tronçons, or chunks. (I did not salt the eggplant because I live on the wild side don’t think it makes a difference.) I sautéed these two vegetables in generous splashes of olive oil before adding them to a Dutch oven.
The dish has two secret (and untraditional) ingredients — a generous drizzle of honey, which heightens the tomatoes — and a dash of something spicy — I used harissa. Herbs, sautéed onions and ground beef join the vegetables in the covered casserole before it’s placed in the oven for a slow simmer. In the photo above, you can see the “raw” state — the vegetables still bright and crunchy. After a couple of hours, they turned soft and creamy, rich with a deep, meaty savor. Paired with couscous, this made a superb Sunday dinner — with leftovers for another weeknight meal (over pasta or soft polenta). The best part? It leaves your house smelling like a summer kitchen in Provence.
Ratatouillaise
Adapted from Yvon Kergal, Kristin Espinasse, and Felicity Cloake
The word “ratatouillaise” is a hybrid of ratatouille and bolognaise (spelled the French way). Kristin says it’s “apparently valid in Scrabble, though no other definition is found.” Whatever the case, it’s synonymous with delicious :)
Serves six
Olive oil
2 red bell peppers
3 onions, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 lb ground beef
2 lbs tomatoes, peeled and diced
2 large zucchini, peeled in stripes, and cut into 1.5-inch chunks
3 small eggplant, peeled in stripes, and cut into 1.5-inch cubes
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon harissa
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and pepper
Cut the red peppers in half and remove the seeds. Line a baking sheet with parchment pepper and arrange the peppers on it. Roast the peppers at 400ºF until their skins have blistered, about 20 minutes. Peel the peppers and slice them into thin strips.
In a large Dutch oven, heat a tablespoon of oil and sauté the onions and garlic until they’ve softened and start to turn golden. Add the ground beef, breaking up the chunks with a wooden spoon. When the meat has cooked, stir in the tomatoes. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
Preheat the oven to 350ºF. In a (separate) sauté pan, warm a tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high flame, and then add the zucchini and a dash of pepper. Don’t overcrowd the pan — cook in batches, if necessary. Sauté the zucchini until gently softened and starting to turn brown, about five minutes. Add the zucchini to the meat mixture. Repeat with the rest of the zucchini, then the eggplant cubes. Add them to the meat mixture. Stir the red pepper strips into the meat mixture, along with the honey, harissa, bay leaf, thyme, oregano, and 1.5 cups of water.
Bring the mixture to a boil on the stove, then cover the pot and place it in the oven. Cook the ratatouillaise in the oven, stirring every half an hour, until the vegetables have collapsed and everything is “bien confit” (well reduced) — about 2.5 hours. If too much liquid remains, uncover the pot for the last 30 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings.
As Yvon says “Voilà , ayé … A vos fourneaux et bon app’ .. Bizzzzzzzzz!”
P.S. Read more about my love for Provence here.
I saw this on Kristin’s feed and my ears pricked up right away! I think that I really need to make it BUT because I am lazy I will cook everything together and use ground pork instead. Do you hate me? ;)
To make it up to you, if you ever want me to find you another great rental property here I would go to town in order to make it happen!
Heather — The best part about sharing recipes is hearing how people adapt them to make them their own! Let me know how it turns out! And if we ever make it to the Luberon for a summer holiday again, you will be the first person I contact! :) xoxoxo
Bravo to you for choosing the more time-consuming method. I love ratatouille but I’ve only ever done it by cooking everything all together. With the poetic explanation from Cloake, I think I’ll have to give the slower method a try.
What a great idea! Just visited Paris and Breton for 10 days this summer and am on a French food kick – I am especially loving mixing up classics. Can’t wait to try it.
I really like — and agree with — Felicity’s point about cooking the veggies separately; it does make a difference! But … In practice, of course, I sympathize with the all together approach. Also, long live Bonnieux!
It is a constant home run with your recipes Ann! We love bolognaise and I’m relishing in all of the summer veggies so a combo of the two sounds great. Perhaps I will replace our normal Sunday night bolognaise w/ this recipe. Hooray!
Looks SO good!!! I love this idea of “mixing” two classics from two different countries.
Jeanne — I think the individual cooking of vegetables really adds a new dimension. If you try it, let me know what you think!
Katie — Your holiday sounds lovely! Hope this recipe helps extend it a little longer :)
CK — Yes! I think the individual cooking especially helped the courgettes. And agree — Vive Bonnieux!
Kristen — Awww, your comment made my day! This recipe is a little fussy, but it’s possible to do it in stages ahead of time — and of course, it tastes even better the next day.
Jérôme — I love it, too! But I’m not sure the ladies of Bonnieux would agree… Hee hee :)
Hi Ann!
This looks so good! I’m going to try it today!
Eileen — Hope you enjoy it! :)
I’ll be making this for sure (sans meat, as I don’t eat it.) I read about it in Kristie’s post, too. Yum! Thanks for this post.
Not much new under the sun !! Prompted by Katharine Whitehorn’s classic book ‘Cooking in a Bedsitter’ I used to cook something remarkably similar to this at university 50 years ago. Delicious then and just as delicious now.
Oh how wonderful and yummy and yes, a definite to make for me! I saw it on Kristen’s blog, and then love your cooking, so it is a natural. Thanks! And yes, to Bonnieux, Provence, and lavender: I miss them all.
This looks delicious! I’ve made the Thomas Keller all-veg version once, pre-kids. Can’t wait to try this one out.
I read this in Kristin’s blog and made a mental note to try it and now that I see your recipes it’s on my to-do list for next week. When in Paris in May, we went to a friends apartment for lunch & she served us a delicious ratatouille which inspired me to make it this summer, I will try the slow cooking method.
On the menu for family dinner this coming Sunday even though it is winter in Adelaide. I will cook it the slow way and let you know the outcome
Mim — You might also like the ratatouille recipe from Felicity Cloake’s article. But I’d still add a touch of honey!
Stefan — I’m sure some version of this has been made for centuries! And as an American, may I say that I LOVE the word “bedsit”? :)
Libby — Thank you so much! Sending you lavender-scented breezes :)
Mike — Felicity Cloake (I’ve mentioned her so much I’m starting to feel like a groupie) dissects the Thomas Keller version in her article — she makes a good point — do you like a crunchy or jammy ratatouille? I think I’m more in the jammy camp, but I’d like to try the other style for variation.
Susan — That sounds like a lovely lunch. Hope you enjoy the recipe!
Pauline — Slow simmered stews are my favorite kind of winter comfort food. Feel free to substitute a large tin of tomatoes for the fresh. Happy cooking!
Love! Ratatouille is always a favourite in summer but to combine the two, especially by slow cooking, looks wonderful. And the honey and harissa just seems like it would go so well together.
Hi Ann! I just finished reading Mastering the Art of French Eating and discovered this site…Loved the book SO much and I know I’ll love your blog!
Emma — Elizabeth David’s ratatouille recipe calls for crushed coriander — and I found the harissa added a more subtle taste of it.
Nan — Aw, thanks! This made my day!
Yum,yum, yum, the entire family loved it and I felt pretty pleased with myself.It took time but was worth the effort.
Pauline — Hooray, this makes me so happy! I can imagine it was lovely on a chilly winter night. Stay cozy!