Anticiplate

Ratatouille comes from the word touiller which means “to toss” in French. That is just what this dish is: tossed vegetables. I have never made ratatouille, but after making it, I realized I have had it multiple times. My foodie friend Michael recently made a spanish version of this dish for his wife’s birthday. I was inspired, so I decided to make my own version, roughly based on his recipe.

Ratatouille was originally a poor farmer’s dish. The farmers would use the fresh summer vegetables they had from their crop, and create a meal based on those ingredients. However, culinarily speaking,“poor man’s food” is very trendy and chic right now. On a recent trip to New York City, I ate at a restaurant called Diner that my friend Alexis works at. They have a menu of all seasonal and sustainably-farmed food. The experience was outstanding, because everything was in the peak of its freshness. 

This dish would obviously be the best in the summer when all of these ingredients are at their peak. Luckily, Whole Foods makes all food season-free! 

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 45 minutes

Serves: 4

6 tbsp. olive oil

Kosher salt and Cracked black pepper

1 large japanese eggplant, cut into 1/2 inch rounds

1 large zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch rounds

1 yellow squash, cut into 1/2 inch rounds

1 tbsp. anchovy paste 

2 small onions, finely chopped

1 large red pepper, cut into eighths

3 cloves garlic, finely minced

1 tbsp. cumin seed (make sure you get the whole seeds)

1/4 c. flat leaf parsley, chopped

4 fresh thyme sprigs, leaves stripped

8 large basil leaves, coarsely chopped

1 28 oz. can San Marzano crushed tomatoes

Sprinkle of red pepper flakes (about 1/2-1 tsp.)

Four 6 oz. pieces of halibut filet

1 tsp. ground cumin

Drizzle of aged balsamic

Line a large plate with paper towels. Heat 2 tbsp. olive oil in a large sauce  pan over medium heat. Add eggplant, and season generously with salt and pepper. Let cook down for about 10 minutes, or until eggplant is soft and wilted. Move the eggplant to the paper-towel lined plate. Add another 2 tbsp. olive oil to the pan. Repeat the cooking process with the squash and zucchini (combined in the skillet). Cook it the same way as the eggplant, and add to the same plate. 

Add another 2 tbsp. olive oil to the pan. Add the anchovy paste, cumin seed, onions, red pepper, garlic, and herbs and cook down for 5 minutes over medium heat, until caramelized. Add the tomatoes and let cook over a simmer for 10 minutes until thick and pulpy.  Return the eggplant, zucchini, and squash to the pan. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle red pepper flakes over the top. Let the ratatouille cook for about 15 minutes more until vegetables get soft and the flavors melt together. 

Meanwhile, drizzle the halibut with a small amount of olive oil. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and ground cumin. Once the ratatouille has thickened, add the fish into the pan. Nestle the filets so that the ratatouille is covering the fish, Cook, covered, for 10 minutes. 

Top plate. Add the ratatouille on the bottom and a fish filet on the top. Drizzle balsamic over the top.  Sprinkle with leftover parsley, basil, or thyme if you prefer. 

Serve immediately.