mint Posted August 21, 2009 Share Posted August 21, 2009 fry the different ingredients separately? Do you think it makes a difference? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kitty Posted August 21, 2009 Share Posted August 21, 2009 The difference is to add a little bit of sugar... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LEO Posted August 21, 2009 Share Posted August 21, 2009 [quote user="sweet 17"]fry the different ingredients separately? Do you think it makes a difference?[/quote]Hi sweet sixteen , Ratatouille , is a waste of time ,compared to any two veg beautifully cooked! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cerise Posted August 21, 2009 Share Posted August 21, 2009 No don't fry separately ... do add a drop of red wine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suein56 Posted August 21, 2009 Share Posted August 21, 2009 [quote user="sweet 17"]fry the different ingredients separately? Do you think it makes a difference?[/quote]Always did the onion, garlic, peppers, aubergines, courgettes, tomatoes together; adding the sliced tomatoes last of all. Then putting an upturned (weighted) plate on top of the mix and leaving for 1/2 hour to 3/4 hour with no interference, time depending on the quantity, Delicious hot, then even better cold next day, if there was any left. Mind you we have always grown our own aubergines, courgettes and toms so do not know if this makes a difference or not*.*this year - and 2 years ago - our toms suffered blight - so we bought in local grown Breton toms. They were fine!Edit:[quote user="Cerise"]No don't fry separately ... do add a drop of red wine.[/quote]Add red wine!!! - good grief, don't do that, waste of good wine; drink the wine.Sue [:)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5-element Posted August 22, 2009 Share Posted August 22, 2009 Sweet 17, I have tried both ways. The separate cooking of vegetables seemed to be an awful faff for not very noticeable results. I also tried one of the French ways which is to add lardons to the ratatouille, but found that it is then no longer ratatouille, it loses that "only vegetables" quality.My latest fad with making ratatouille is that I omit onions, but increase the amount of garlic, and I include some piment d'Espelette to make it quite spicy, or ras-el-hanout). Also, unless I have some really good homegrown tomatoes (of which I use only the flesh) I have found that a good quality tin of tomatoes works at least just as well, and no need to add sugar then. (sorry if that sounds heretical!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clair Posted August 22, 2009 Share Posted August 22, 2009 I do onions first, then all the veg together, but omit the aubergine as I can't stand it, so it's not really a ratatouille, is it..?[8-)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gardengirl Posted August 22, 2009 Share Posted August 22, 2009 Clair, that's just how I cook it, I can't stand aubergines either - I thought it was just me! I made a big batch yesterday, and it was delicious; the rest will go today.Jo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
osie Posted August 22, 2009 Share Posted August 22, 2009 I do this quite alot... I fry (very very hot) dry veg aub, corg, fennel, peppers etc... no onions as they have liquid.Then add tomatoes... fry all very hot for 4mins and then put in oven till cooked...You can add some red balsamic or some basil, thyme etc for some added taste...This is a dry dish rather that the stodge soup stuff I have seen.Try it and be surprised... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted August 22, 2009 Author Share Posted August 22, 2009 5-e is right about it being a bit of a faff, frying the vegetables separately. You should have seen me yesterday with all the different bowls of separately fried peppers, onions and garlic, aubergine, courgettes, etc. I felt like I was on a cookery programme where you stand there with all your ingredients in separate containers and what doesn't appear on camera are the skivvies who then did all the washing-up!However, when I was learning to cook from books many decades ago, I remember St Delia definitely saying you need to fry the veg separately. Also, I read the same thing recently said by a cookery school owner in Nice.I must admit that the end result WAS less sloppy than my usual efforts and the vegetables did keep their individual colour and shape better. However, I also thought that I used more olive oil than I would have done if I'd tipped all the veg in together. The aubergine and mushrooms particularly seemed to soak up quite a lot of oil when fried on their own. There again, the finished dish wasn't oily and the taste was superb.Osie, I like the sound of your dish as well and may well do that next time, with the addition of cloves of garlic left in their skins because I adore baked garlic and just love squeezing them out of their skins and straight into my mouth............hmmmmmmmm, now you all know what a greedy person I am...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
osie Posted August 22, 2009 Share Posted August 22, 2009 I do indeed also put a clove of garlic in too... however the dish will only be in the over for about 20 mins and so you would need to further cook just the garlic to get it to that dripping consistency... better still do some oven potatoes with garlic where the potatoes and garlic would be perfect at the same time... about 40-50 minsoh and yes the ratatouille does need a fair bit of olive oil but if it is very hot it will lessen the amount soaked up by the aubergines... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pads Posted August 22, 2009 Share Posted August 22, 2009 I take a large baking tray put my veg chopped on the tray, drizzel with a little olive oil ... garlic cloves in their skins cover with sprigs of herbs and oven bake .... while making the tom sauce with garlic herbs and a pinch of chilli (my taste) leave this to reduce to a thick sauce .... take the veg out of the oven squeeze the baked garlic into the sauce ... leave sauce and veg to cool before mixing, I find this keeps the veg firmer .... then portion up for the freezer ....I love it yum!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted August 22, 2009 Author Share Posted August 22, 2009 Hi, Pads, yum indeed! Sounds like genius to make the sauce separately because then you could control the consistency better.And Osie's potatoes and garlic...........got to be a marriage made in heaven, don't you think? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5-element Posted August 22, 2009 Share Posted August 22, 2009 I like Pads' system too - sounds really good.I tend to use leftover ratatouille as a basic sauce for spaghettis or other pasta. Just sprinkle a lot of parmesan on the lot, etc...Also, ratatouille tart is great. Again, mix with cheese. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clair Posted August 22, 2009 Share Posted August 22, 2009 I use it for veggie lasagne [:)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pads Posted August 22, 2009 Share Posted August 22, 2009 nothing better on a cold winters day ...Chuck a big potatoe in the aga ... take the dog for a walk for an hour come back and stuff it with some chilli spiked Ratty and a big glass of the red stuff in front of the log fire with my feet up.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted August 22, 2009 Author Share Posted August 22, 2009 5-e, I agree; parmesan is THE cheese of choice.....miam, miam.In fact, today, I bought some marscapone cheese to make Teamed-Up's pastry (remember Teamed-Up though from some of her posts and I was new to the Forum, I thought she should be called "Steamed-Up" LOL, I'm sure she wouldn't mind as she could laugh at herself). So ratatouille tart tomorrow it is then.As for veggie lasagne, I find that a layer of spinach then a layer of lasagne sheets then ratatouille, then pasta, then cheese sauce, then parmesan and homemade breadcrumbs work a treat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frenchie Posted August 23, 2009 Share Posted August 23, 2009 [quote user="Clair"]I do onions first, then all the veg together, but omit the aubergine as I can't stand it, so it's not really a ratatouille, is it..?[8-)][/quote]No, but if it's tha way you like it.. Never wine in ratatouille, sacrilège !! [:)]I don't fry the veg separately. Like Clair, just the onion first.Ratatouille is excellent with barbecue.When I have some ratatouille left, I cook rice and add the ratatouille to it, it is good! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted August 23, 2009 Author Share Posted August 23, 2009 Bonjour, Frenchie! Comment ça va? Tu aimes la canicule?[;-)]As for rice, yes, I add it to all leftovers!!!!!My favourite meal en ce moment (still not keen on eating meat since my grippe porcine), plain boiled rice, cooked haricots verts, drizzle with olive oil, soy sauce, salt (only a small amount) and freshly ground black pepper (lots of it) et voila! Heaven on a plate!Might not sound nice but I assure you the taste is fantastic.....................at least to my jaded palate, it is![:D] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted August 23, 2009 Author Share Posted August 23, 2009 5-e, if you're still awake, listen..............I made the ratatouille tart a per your suggestion. Lots of grated emmental cheese on top and then some grated parmesan for its taste and then sprinkled on some cayenne for the colour and the heat.Might have tasted better cold but it smelt so good that we ate the lot whilst it was still hot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pads Posted August 23, 2009 Share Posted August 23, 2009 Mmmmm I can smell it from here ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted August 23, 2009 Author Share Posted August 23, 2009 Pity I can't send you a piece in the post, Pads! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5-element Posted August 24, 2009 Share Posted August 24, 2009 I woldn't mind a slice for breakfast, S.17[:D] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pads Posted August 24, 2009 Share Posted August 24, 2009 Maybe S17 cold come over to our area some time and bring us a whole one .... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted August 24, 2009 Author Share Posted August 24, 2009 [quote user="5-element"]I woldn't mind a slice for breakfast, S.17[:D][/quote]Blimey, you French don't half eat some strange things for breakfast![:P] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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