ratatouille

Before it became synonymous with a Disney cartoon rat, ratatouille meant France’s favourite vegan stew, of tomatoes, onions, courgettes, aubergines (eggplants), bell peppers, garlic, marjoram, fennel and basil or bay leaves and thyme, fried in olive oil (ideally cooking each ingredient separately, to maintain its integrity) or baked, then drizzled with olive oil. It’s served hot or cold, often as a side dish, sometimes on rice.

Ratatouille’s ancestor was a dish called Bohémienne de légumes, made with aubergines, tomatoes and garlic, and sometimes onions, but no more.