Winter Ratatouille
/French summer classic gets a seasonal makeover. Here I have wintertime staples such as squashes, purple sweet potatoes, beetroot, carrots and apples - all thinly sliced and fanned out on a luxurious sauce that can be easily veganized. And the finishing touch of maple butter glaze with crispy herb is an absolute must. Whether it’s a special occasion or a dinner party this one will definitely get you all the “oohs” and “aahs” and the bonus is kids will love it too (as long as you don’t reveal the list of veggies).
I love to serve it with lightly toasted tortillas, so that everyone can dig in and make their own wrap with the ratatouille. And this Citrus Salad goes really well with this one.
Ingredients (serves 4-6 as side)
2 tbsp Salted butter (substitute with Olive Oil to keep it Vegan)
170g Leek Whites or the edible portion, thinly sliced
3 Garlic Cloves, chopped
1” Ginger Piece, peeled and grated
1/2 tsp Ground Allspice Berries (substitute with Ground Cinnamon)
1/2-3/4 tsp Ground Nutmeg (adjust to your taste / preference)
1/2 tsp Fine Sea Salt
2-3 Sprigs of Thyme
2 sprigs of Tarragon (substitute with Sage), discard stems and separate the leaves. Chop up the leaves coarsely
150ml Vegetable Stock (substitute with Water)
85g Crème Fraîche (substitute with Sour Cream or Vegan Cream Cheese)
25g Grated Gruyere or Cheddar Cheese (substitute with Vegan Cheddar)
1 tsp crushed White Pepper (black or pink pepper will work too)
Veggie Prep (everything should be thinly sliced into 3mm half moons)
2-3 Apples (preferably Pink Lady or Golden Delicious / Gala Varities)
2-3 Small Sweet Potatoes (Orange or Purple variety)
2 Medium Beets
1/2 of a Small Butternut Squash
1/2 of a Small Delicata Squash
1 + 1/2 tbsp Olive Oil
1/2 tsp Salt
2 sprigs of Thyme
Glaze
1.5 tbsp Unsalted Butter (substitute with Vegan Butter)
1 tsp Maple Syrup
1/2 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar
1/2 tsp Crushed White Pepper (black or pink pepper)
10-12 Fresh Tarragon or Sage Leaves
Directions
Finish the Veggie Prep: Combine 1 tbsp Olive Oil (reserving 1/2 tbsp) with all veggie prep ingredients in a large bowl. Toss really well until everything is coated in oil, salt and thyme
Make the sauce: In a 10” oven proof skillet (if you don’t have one then use a regular skillet and use a 10” Round baking tin later) add butter, leeks, ginger and garlic. On medium flame continue frying until they start sweating and smelling aromatic (about 4 mins or so). Then add dry spices and cook for 2 minutes; now add chopped tarragon leaves and stock. Give it a good mix and increase the heat to bring to vigorous simmer - once simmering cook it for 5 mins and turn off the heat. Pre-heat oven to 375F. Once cool enough, transfer into blender, add crème fraîche and cheese. Whiz until it’s a smooth sauce like consistency
Arrange and bake: Transfer 3/4 sauce back to the oven-proof skillet or a round cake tin. Swirl the skillet/tin so that a layer is formed in the base then start arranging the seasoned slices of vegetables from the large bowl. I prefer to create a set of different colored slices (example: 1 slice of Apple, 1 slice of carrot, 1 slice of Delicata, 1 slice of Beet, 1 slice of Purple Sweet Potato and 1 slice of Butternut Squash), then repeat the pattern. Even if it’s haphazard it will still look fabulous due to the stunning natural colors of all vegetables. I try to stuff in a lot more vegetables as they shrink a lot while baking so don’t be afraid to squish and overlap. If there are leftover vegetables, then lay them over on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake them on a separate rack until golden and cooked. Those will be amazing for another dinner. Now, pour the remaining sauce on top of arranged vegetables finish with 1/2 tbsp Olive Oil and crushed white pepper. Cover with an aluminum foil and bake for 30 mins and uncover, increase the temperature to 400F and bake for another 20-25 mins or until the veggies look caramelized and when poked with a fork, they are tender
Serve: When ready to serve, heat up butter in a small pan. Once sizzling, add tarragon or sage leaves. Fry until crisp, fish out the leaves and let the butter cool a bit. Now whisk, maple syrup and the aromatic butter into a glaze. Brush the ratatouille with the glaze and decorate with crispy tarragon or sage leaves. Enjoy!
*Note: if you have a cast iron Dutch oven or braiser with a lid then it will be perfect to use here
