Submitted by Rita Fabrizio, Division Coordinator, Executive Assistant, Division of Palliative Medicine, UCSF Health
My Story
My father had three culinary specialties: pepper steak, chorizo and eggs, and Boris & Fillipa's ratatouille. Boris and Fillipa Veren met my parents in Big Sur, after they moved there from France in the late 1950s. Big Sur at that time was a wonderful melting pot for artists, sculptors, musicians, writers – of many cultures - to share their gifts and talents with each other. Boris and Fillipa were artists and became friends with my musician parents, and they regularly spent good times over a good meal.
Years later, my father would still make this 'authentically French' Ratatouille, claiming that sometimes simplicity in a recipe brings out the best in the ingredients, and that's why it was so good. He also claimed that the secret to this is in slow cooking over a low heat so that all the qualities of the vegetables could blossom with sweet tenderness. We always had this with lots of fresh French bread or baguette heated in the oven to soak up the juices. This dish is good served hot, at room temperature, or even cold from the fridge as a midnight snack.
Recipe
Serves 4
Preparation Time: 45 mins
Total Cooking Time: 90 minutes
Suggestion: Source fresh organic ingredients if possible.
For cooking: large cast-iron, enamel or thick-walled pan that has a tight-fitting lid
Ingredients:
2 medium Italian eggplants
2 green bell peppers
3 large tomatoes
3 medium onions
4 cloves garlic
15 whole peppercorns
1 tsp sea salt
3 bay leaves
¼ c good extra virgin olive oil
Method
Wash eggplants, tomatoes and bell peppers. Cut the eggplant into 2.5” cubes. Cut bell peppers into 2’ pieces. Slice off flower end of onions and slice off root end as close to the root as possible. Peel and place onions on board ‘root’ side up and cut 6 wedges from the top keeping the root end intact as much as possible so wedges will stay together. Quarter the tomatoes. Peel and slice garlic.
Layer vegetables into a large cast-iron, enamel or thick-walled pan that has a tight-fitting lid. Halfway through distribute the peppercorns, salt and bay leaves. Top with the remaining vegetables. Drizzle the ¼ cup of olive oil over the top.
Cover and cook on stove over very low heat. Every 15 minutes uncover and stir gently with large spoon or spatula to distribute everything for even cooking. This method of cooking allows the vegetables to create a wonderful aromatic broth (with the help of your good olive oil). Do not add water. If you see it boiling, turn down the heat. The reason for the low heat is to keep the eggplant and tomatoes from turning to mush. After an hour turn heat off and leave covered for 30 mins to finish by steam cooking.
Heap generously in bowls with lots of fresh crusty French bread to soak up the juices.
Enjoy!
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