Ratatouille With Parmesan Polenta
112 days ago
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Here is a dish with French roots that takes advantage of all the fresh ingredients available this time of year. Ratatouille With Parmesan Polenta, a recipe from our friends at New York Kitchen, is chock full of garden goodies including onions, garlic, eggplant, zucchini, bell pepper and tomatoes.
Preparing the Ingredients
Whenever I think of ratatouille, I think of eggplant. Growing up I was never a fan of it, until I had my first taste of ratatouille. Eggplant’s sponge-like texture transforms as it cooks, developing a soft, buttery texture that absorbs some of the flavor from the vegetables and herbs as it cooks.
To prepare it use a sharp knife with a long blade, like the 7-1/2″ Vegetable Knife, that can easily pierce the waxy skin. Cut it into quarters and slice into one-half-inch pieces.
You can use the 7-1/2″ Vegetable Knife to also slice the zucchini for the ratatouille. The wide blade can also be used to scoop up ingredients to transfer to a bowl or pan.
To chop the bell pepper, give the 7″ Santoku a try.
When it comes to the tomatoes, use a good tomato knife. Cutco’s Trimmer is great for tomatoes. It’s sharp Double-D® edge slices and dices them without crushing them.
For the onion and garlic, a knife with a rounded belly, like the 7-5/8″ Petite Chef, would be the choice for slicing and mincing.
Putting it Together
To make the ratatouille, the vegetables are added to a skillet in increments to cook down. Eventually oregano, thyme, coriander, fennel, salt, pepper and basil are added to complete the dish. It really doesn’t take much time for it all to come together.
In the end, the flavors of the cooked vegetables and herbs mingle to create a stew that’s a little savory and a touch sweet. Served over a Parmesan polenta, it becomes a satisfying meal unto itself. I think it is a dish that even a meat-lover would enjoy.
If you enjoy this dish, you might also enjoy some of Cutco’s other eggplant recipes like Baked Eggplant Parmigiano Stacks With Basil Cream Spinach, Eggplant Rollatini or Bite-Sized Eggplant Parmesan Appetizer.
About New York Kitchen:
New York Kitchen is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that uses the stories of agriculture, food and craft beverage to inspire creative exploration to educate, excite and engage the world in a celebration of the incredible bounty of New York State. The mission is driven forward through educational hands-on cooking and craft beverage pairing classes and programs, industry certifications and professional development, Junior Chefs camps and Youth Summit, and a 100% New York State Tasting Room.
Ingredients
For the Parmesan polenta:
- 2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
- 2 cups whole milk
- Kosher salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 cup coarse ground polenta
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
For the ratatouille:
- 1 cup thinly sliced yellow onion
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
- 1 large eggplant, quartered and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 3 cups)
- 1 small zucchini, quartered lengthwise and cut into thin slices
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 3/4-pound tomatoes, chopped coarse (about 1 1/4 cups)
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled
- 1/8 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds
- Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
Directions
Make the Parmesan polenta:
- In a saucepan over medium-high heat, combine broth and milk. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer.
- Add polenta and reduce heat to a low simmer. Stir occasionally until combined and thickened, about 20 minutes.
- Add butter and Parmesan. Stir to combine.
Make the ratatouille:
- In a large skillet over moderately low heat, cook onion and garlic in about 2 tablespoons of oil. Stir occasionally until onion is softened.
- Add a little more oil to the pan and heat it over moderately high heat for 30 seconds.
- Add eggplant and cook mixture, stirring occasionally, for 5-8 minutes or until eggplant is softened.
- Stir in zucchini and bell pepper. Cook mixture over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 6-8 minutes.
- Stir in tomatoes. Continue to cook and stir occasionally for 3-4 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
- Add oregano, thyme, coriander and fennel seeds. Salt and pepper to taste. Cook mixture and stir for 4-5 minutes.
- Stir in basil and combine mixture well.
- Serve over cooked polenta.
Recipe courtesy of New York Kitchen in Canandaigua, a center that showcases New York State’s agriculture through cooking classes, beverage pairings and other programs.
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