Confit Byaldi Recipe (Ratatouille)
This Confit Byaldi Recipe is an elevated version of classic ratatouille with many thin layers of vegetables cooked in a tomato-pepper sauce.
Ingredients
- 5 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 peeled and small-diced small yellow onion
- 3 finely minced garlic cloves
- 1 peeled, seeded, and small diced red bell pepper
- 1 peeled, seeded, and small diced yellow bell pepper
- 3 cups tomato puree
- 2 thinly sliced baby or Japanese egg plant
- 6 thinly sliced Roma tomatoes
- 2 thinly sliced yellow squash
- 2 thinly sliced green zucchini
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- coarse salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add 3 tablespoons of olive oil to a medium-sized saucepot over medium heat and add in the onions. Gently season with salt and cook while frequently stirring for 5 minutes.
- Turn the heat down to low and cook for 10 minutes while occasionally stirring or until well browned.
- Stir in the garlic and cook just until fragrant, which takes about 30 to 45 seconds.
- Add in the bell peppers and sauté for 5 minutes over medium heat.
- Pour in the tomato puree, season with salt, and cook over low to medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Transfer the mixture to a blender and blend it at high speed until smooth. Be sure the center piece is removed from the cap of the blender when blending so that the steam can escape.
- Pour the tomato sauce into a 10” cast iron skillet or round deep 10” casserole dish.
- Starting on the inside of the pan around the sides of the skillet, layer with the eggplant, tomatoes, squash, and zucchini, keeping the vegetables upright. Repeat the process all the way around.
- Repeat the same procedures to the inside of that vegetable round in the pan.
- For the centerpiece, fan out and layer slightly over one another about 5 slices each of eggplant, tomato, squash, and zucchini, and roll it up to create a rose. Place that vegetable rose to the center of the pan.
- Drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil over the top of the vegetables and season with salt and pepper.
- Sprinkle the fresh thyme evenly, place a piece of foil or parchment round over the top, and bake on the middle rack at 325° for 60 to 65 minutes.
- Remove the foil or parchment and bake for another 30 to 35 minutes, or until the edges of the vegetables are lightly browned and the vegetables are tender. Serve hot.
Notes
Make-Ahead: This dish is best served hot, although you can wait for it to cool and enjoy it the next day for a deeper flavor.
How to Store: Cover the leftovers and store them in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. This dish also freezes well for up to 3 months. Thaw the leftovers overnight before reheating them the next day.
How to Reheat: Warm the leftover confit biyaldi in a 350ºF oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until it’s warmed through and the vegetables are slightly crisp around the edges. Alternatively, reheat individual portions in a lightly oiled skillet over medium heat for about 5 minutes or until the vegetables are warm.
I like using a cast iron skillet, but you can make this dish in any 10-inch oven-proof skillet or casserole dish.
“Pipérade” is another term for this recipe's tomato and bell pepper sauce. In Thomas Keller’s French Laundry Cookbook, his pipérade is made from peeled and cooked bell peppers, onions, garlic, tomatoes, and herbs.
Carefully slice the vegetables with a mandoline for the most even, consistent slices. To be extra careful, wear a cut-resistant glove while slicing.
Confit biyaldi can be served both hot and cold.
Drizzle balsamic reduction over the cooked confit biyaldi to enhance the flavors.
Michel Guérard first created this dish, which Chef Thomas Keller made famous in his 1999 hit cookbook, The French Laundry.
Nutrition
Calories: 177kcalCarbohydrates: 23gProtein: 4gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gSodium: 42mgPotassium: 1003mgFiber: 6gSugar: 14gVitamin A: 1262IUVitamin C: 39mgCalcium: 53mgIron: 3mg