Ratatouille — the story, recipe and tips the chef from Provence Bashny.Net

The authors of the cartoon "Ratatouille" deliberately chose this dish to the hero struck the stern of culinary criticism. The French treated leniently by motley vegetable mixture until came the fashion for seasonal products.

Everyone can cook. And any, even a simple dish will be a culinary masterpiece, if it put the soul — that is the main idea of a disney cartoon.

And what could be more banal than a stew of vegetables, which grow in abundance under the sun of Languedoc and Provence. It clearly cannot be attributed to Haute cuisine. And in the sound of the word "Ratatouille" (ratatouille) French ear heard rather a humiliation than sophistication.





For the first time, according to the Historical dictionary of the French language, Ratatouille is mentioned in 1778. According to one version, the word comes from ratatolha Occitan (Occitan is a romance language, spoken in the South of France), and denotes a method of preparation in which different ingredients are mixed and stewed.

For a long time, "Ratatouille" was also synonymous with bad food, stale hash. And derived from ratatouille — rata, partly akin to the Russian word "Burda". Rata on the French army slang called any stewed mixture, such as beans, potatoes or vegetables with the meat and even the reheated leftovers of food. In the novel by Honore de Balzac, "First steps in life" (1842) one of the characters says: "I Have too delicate a stomach to digest this tavern Ratatouille". In some French fairy tales witches were cooking Ratatouille from mice and frogs.

To prepare vegetable stew in France began approximately in the XVIII century. The vegetables constituting its Foundation, bell peppers, zucchini, tomatoes appeared in Europe thanks to the colonial trade only at the end of the XVI century. According to the testimony of culinary criticism Grimaud de La Ren'er, exotic vegetables were in Languedoc and Provence, from Spain. And eggplant brought from Africa by the Arabs, most likely, it became known to Europeans after the twelfth century. For a long time they were treated as ornamental plants and used as food. Only in the late nineteenth century the word "Ratatouille" began to call familiar stewed vegetable mixture. It is believed that the recipe proposed by the chef of one of the hotels in nice, because the classic recipe called Ratatouille Nicoise. But almost certainly based on the chef took one of the dishes from the peasant cuisine. The popularity of Ratatouille acquired several decades ago, when representatives of the new French cuisine began to pay more attention to fresh vegetables and seasonal products. "Brothers" Ratatouille cooking throughout the Mediterranean.

In each country, depending on the region and some of the ingredients, it is called differently. The Spaniards — g, peplum — papered, the Catalans — Campina, Sicilian caponata. In the French region of Languedoc-Roussillon eggplant and tomatoes cook a dish called Bohemian, and in Provence it is called Bohemian de Legum. Special Provencal Ratatouille make local herbs: thyme, celery, rosemary, Basil, tarragon green, and of course, olives. Aromatic herbs, except the Basil, tied into a bundle (bouquet Garni) so easy to remove from the finished dish. Thyme and rosemary — a strong spice, they do not leave for a long time. But fresh Basil leaves are not heat treated, they are added at the end, so the smell is not gone.

How to cut the vegetables cubes or slices, big or small, the fans argue, but these arguments are reminiscent of the conflict "big-endian" and "ostrokonechniki". However in each case its advantages. Large cubes are faster to cut, but cook longer, and therefore, vegetables will lose flavor. Small division — it is laborious, but cooking will take less time and the taste will be richer.

According to the rules of French cuisine, Ratatouille is a seasonal dish. If you happen to be in the South of France in late spring or in the height of summer, dedicate one night to, sitting on the terrace of the restaurant, the singing of nightingales to try the Ratatouille with pink wine. This, according to many local chefs, is a real taste of Provence.

RECIPE

Ratatouille Nicoise

Cooking time: 45 minutes

For how many people: 4 3 bulbs

1 zucchini 4 peppers of different colors

1 eggplant 5 tomatoes

100 g of black olives Nicoise

A few sprigs Basil

2-4 cloves of garlic

The sprig of celery, a sprig of rosemary, thyme, a few sprigs of parsley (tie with cooking string into a bundle)

2 cups olive oil

A pinch of sugar

Salt and pepper to taste

1 Chop the onion, zucchini, peppers and tank lagany cubes. It is better to choose 1 green, 1 red and 2 yellow peppers. In a saucepan on medium heat fry the peppers in a little olive oil for 5-7 minutes, discard in a colander. In the same saucepan sauté onions. When it becomes Golden brown, add the chopped garlic and fry a little. Then put in a colander, to glass oil.

2 Separately fry the zucchini and tank lagani, stirring constantly. Season with salt and pepper. Once the vegetables are slightly browned, place into a colander.

3 In a saucepan with a thick bottom pour olive oil, add the blanched peeled from the skin tomatoes, diced. Mash them with a wooden spoon. Add a bunch of greens, sugar, salt, pepper. Close the lid and cook on slow heat for 10-15 minutes until the consistency of sauce.

4 All the vegetables put in a saucepan, add the tomatoes and herbs, cook for 10 minutes with the lid closed on slow fire. Remove the bouquet Garni. Cut each olive into 8 pieces, add to the finished dish, garnish it with Basil.

A native of Châteaudun (France), the main chef of the hotel "Radisson Royal" Jean-Michel Hardouin-Atlan tells what to serve Ratatouille As still need to chop the vegetables for the Ratatouille — cubes or circles? Depends on your preference. I cut small cubes and pre-baked the pepper, so the dish cook faster and taste sweeter. Most importantly — add the olives and to choose a good olive oil.

How to serve the dish? It's up to you. Ratatouille is usually served on the side, he only recently became an independent dish. It is equally complements fish, poultry and meat. Can be served with fresh baguette. By the way, Ratatouille is good both hot and cold. Yes and stored it for a few days.

What sauce it is possible to add? Well suited to the piste, the Provencal version of Italian pesto: pine nuts, Basil, Parmesan, olive oil. Add the sauce to the skillet, before you submit your dish.

When France is traditionally cooked Ratatouille? Any day of the week. Unlike the chicken and the potatoes, which tradition dictates are only on Sundays.

источник:vokrugsveta.ru

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