Provencal Vegetable Bake (Tian Provencal)
If you have seen the animated film Ratatouille you will know that Remy, the rat, shows the kitchen porter how to make a ratatouille. Real ratatouille connoisseurs, however, will have immediately recognized that it is actually not a ratatouille at all, but a typical tian. Both ratatouille and tian use the same vegetables; the main difference is in the cooking technique. A "real" ratatouille requires cooking the vegetables individually, before bringing all the elements together at the end; a tian is an artful arrangement of vegetable slices, which is baked like a gratin. It's a simplified, and more often than not better-looking, version of ratatouille.
- Total: 1 hr 15 min
- Prep: 30 min
- Cook: 45 min
- Yield: Serves 6 to 8 as a side
Ingredients
4 red onions, finely sliced 4 cloves of garlic, crushed
4 sprigs of fresh thyme
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 eggplant
1 zucchini
5 firm tomatoes (plum tomatoes work well)
Pinch of salt
Directions
Special equipment:
a 7 1/2-inch round ovenproof dish- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a large saute pan over medium heat, fry the onions, garlic, and thyme in 2 tablespoons of the oil for about 10 minutes, until soft and starting to turn golden. Meanwhile, very finely slice the eggplant and zucchini crosswise (1/16-inch thick). Use a mandoline or the slicer on the side of a box grater if you have one. Slice the tomatoes into 1/8-inch thick slices.
- Pour the onion-thyme mixture into the ovenproof dish and top with a few slices of the vegetables to make a flat surface. Arrange the rest of the sliced vegetables, alternating the colors, in a circular arrangement around the dish. Drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and sprinkle with the salt. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until the vegetables are soft and golden on top. Serve warm or at room temperature.
- This can be made 1 day in advance and eaten at room temperature or reheated in a 325 degree F oven at for 20 to 30 minutes.
