Ratatouille, the movie about a French rat with a dream to be a chef, debuted in 2007. I watched the movie then, but was so immersed in my business than I failed to give it my full attention. I am so sorry that I did that. This past weekend I watched it three times. It is amazing! The attention to detail is incredible.
The director and other members of the production interned at The French Laundry in Yountville, Calif., owned by Thomas Keller. Keller, who is often named the best chef in America, not only trained the key producers, he consulted on every culinary aspect of the movie and has a cameo role.
For those who aren't familiar with Ratatouille, it is the story of a French rat named Remy who is gifted with an unusually sensitive sense of smell and a strong desire to cook. He watches French food television downstairs in the house where the rat colony resides in the attic. He becomes familiar with August Gustave, the most famous chef in Paris. Gustave's television program is entitled Anyone Can Cook.
Through a series of mis-adventures, Remy ends up at Gustave's restaurant. Sadly, Gustave has committed suicide after a bad review by a food critic, resulting in the loss of one of his stars. With Gustave as a ghostly figment of Remy's imagination, a new employee at the restaurant called Linguini and lots of cooking and plot twists, Remy saves Gustave’s by creating a special meal for the nefarious food critic, Anton Ego. He decides to create an upscale version of a classic country French vegetable stew called Ratatouille. The recipe at the end today is the Ratatouille created by Thomas Keller for the movie. It is quite labor intensive, but absolutely beautiful and classic enough to sway a nasty food critic.
One of the thoughtful comments which would appeal to the heart of a food professional was made by Gustave: "How can I describe it? Good food is like music you can taste, color you can smell. There is excellence all around you. You only need to be aware to stop and savor it."
From Thomas Keller: “Cooks cook to nurture people. There is an emotional connection that you have to have with the food."
My sentiments exactly.
Ratatouille's Ratatouille
PIPERADE
• 2 Red Bell pepper (Capsicum) - seeds and ribs removed
• 2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 teaspoon minced Garlic
• ½ cup finely diced Yellow Onion
• 340g (12 ounce) Tomatoes - peeled, seeded, and finely diced, juices reserved
• 1 sprig Fresh Thyme
• 1 sprig Flat-leaf Parsley
• ½ a Bay Leaf
• Salt to taste
VEGETABLES
• 1 Green Zucchini (100g or 4ounces) - thinly sliced
• 1 Yellow Zucchini (100g or 4ounces) - thinly sliced
• 1 Japanese Eggplant (100g or 4ounces) - thinly sliced (long thin eggplant)
• 4 Tomatoes - thinly sliced red or yellow tomatoes, not too ripe
• ½ teaspoon Minced Garlic
• 2 teaspoon Olive Oil
• ⅛ teaspoon Fresh Thyme Leaves
• Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper
• Choose vegetables of equal diameter so that when cut the slices will be near the same size.
• Use a mandolin cutter to cut even slices of vegetables, about 1/4 inch thick. If no mandolin is available, slice as thinly and evenly as possible.
VINAIGRETTE
• 1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 teaspoon Balsamic Vinegar
• Thyme
• Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
For piperade, heat oven to 450 degrees. Place pepper halves (cut side down) on a foil-lined tray. Roast until skin loosens, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let rest until cool enough to handle. Peel and chop finely.
Combine oil, garlic and onion in medium skillet over low heat until vey soft, but not browned, about 8 minutes. Add tomatoes, their juices, thyme, parsley and bay leaf. Simmer over low heat until very soft and very little liquid remains, about 10 minutes, do not brown; add peppers and simmer to soften them. Season to taste with salt, and discard herbs.
Heat oven to 275. Spread piperade in bottom of an 8-inch baking dish or casserole dish.
From the side of the dish, arrange a strip of alternating slices of vegetables over piperade, overlapping so that 1/4 inch of each slice is exposed. Alternate colors of vegetables. Around the center strip, overlap vegetables in a slice spiral that lets slices mound slightly toward center. Repeat until dish is filled; all vegetables may not be needed.
Mix garlic, oil, and thyme leaves in bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle over vegetables. Cover pan with foil and crimp edges to seal well. Bake until vegetables are tender when tested with a paring knife, about 2 hours. Uncover and bake for 30 minutes more. (lightly cover with foil if it starts to brown.) If there is excess liquid in pan, place over medium heat on stove until reduced. (At this point it may be cooled, covered and refrigerated for up to 2 days. Serve cold or reheat in 350 degree oven until warm.)
For vinaigrette, take a Tblsp of piperade from the baking dish, combine with oil, vinegar, herbs and salt and pepper to taste.
To serve, heat broiler and place dish underneath until lightly browned. Slice in quarters and very carefully lift onto a plate with an offset spatula, or small pancake turner. Turn spatula 90 degrees, guiding the vegetables into a fan shape. Drizzle vinaigrette around the plate. Serve hot. n
Fran Ginn is former chef/owner of The Back Door Café, who retired after 31 years in the food industry to be a grandmother. She can be contacted at fran@franginn.com.
