Confit Byaldi (Thomas Keller's Ratatouille)

Thomas Keller's ratatouille made with thinly sliced vegetables fanned into a circle on a white plate.

5 from 7 votes

Confit Byaldi (Thomas Keller's Ratatouille)

This elegant rendition of the classic Provençal "peasant dish" ratatouille comes from culinary genius Thomas Keller. His French Confit Byaldi is a beautifully composed play on this summer favorite. This is the dish Remy serves Anton Ego in the acclaimed animated film of the same name.

Prep Time40 mins

Cook Time3 hrs

Total Time3 hrs 40 mins

Course: Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine: French

Servings: servings

Calories: 165kcal

Author: Victoria

Ingredients

Piperade:

½ red pepper seeds and ribs removed
½ yellow pepper seeds and ribs removed
½ orange pepper seeds and ribs removed
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
½ cup finely diced yellow onion
2 tomatoes (about 12 ounces total weight) peeled, seeded, and finely diced, juices reserved
1 sprig thyme
1 sprig flat-leaf parsley
1 small bay leaf
Kosher salt

Vegetables:

3 ounces green zucchini thinly sliced into 1/16-inch rounds
3 ounces Japanese eggplant thinly sliced in 1/16-inch rounds
3 ounces yellow summer squash thinly sliced in 1/16-inch rounds
2 Roma tomatoes (about 8 ounces total) thinly sliced in 1/16-inch rounds (you'll only likely use about 5 to 6 ounces of slices)
½ teaspoon minced garlic
2 sprigs thyme leaves removed and stem discarded
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Vinaigrette:

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
Assorted fresh herbs thyme flowers, chervil, thyme
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

For the piperade: Heat the oven to 450°F. Place pepper halves on a foil-lined sheet, cut side down. Roast until the skin loosens, about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from heat and let rest until cool enough to handle. Peel and chop finely.
Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium-low to medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until very soft but not browned, about 8 minutes.
Add tomatoes, their juices, thyme, parsley, and bay leaf. Simmer uncovered over low heat until very soft and very little liquid remains, about 10 to 15 minutes, but do not brown.
Add peppers and simmer to soften them. Season the mixture with salt, and discard the herbs.
Reserve 1 tablespoon of the mixture for the vinaigrette and spread the remainder in the bottom of a 9-inch oven-proof skillet (I use a 9-inch All-Clad French skillet).
For the vegetables: Heat the oven to 275°F. Starting from the outside working inward, arrange alternating slices of vegetables over the piperade, overlapping so that ¼ inch of each slice is exposed. Repeat until the pan is filled. You may not use all of the vegetables.
Mix the garlic, oil, and thyme leaves in bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle over the vegetables.
Cover the pan with foil and crimp the edges to seal well. Bake until the vegetables are tender when tested with a paring knife, about 2 hours. Uncover and bake for 30 minutes more. (Lightly cover with foil if it starts to brown.) If there is excess liquid in pan, place over medium heat on stove until reduced. (At this point it may be cooled, covered and refrigerated for up to 2 days. Serve cold or reheat in 350°F oven until warm.)
For the vinaigrette: Combine the reserved 1 tablespoon piperade, oil, vinegar, herbs, and salt and pepper in a bowl.
To serve: Heat the broiler and place the confit byaldi underneath until just barely browned. Portion into quarters and very carefully lift each portion onto a plate with an offset spatula. Turn the spatula 90 degrees, guiding the byaldi into a fan shape. Drizzle the vinaigrette around the plate. Serve hot.

Notes

Although it will take longer than using a mandolin to slice the veggies, I find that using a super sharp knife works really well. It's also a bit less scary. If your knife skills aren't great, use the mandolin but just be super cautious. They actually sell cut resistant gloves, which might be worth a try.
Confit byaldi can easily serve as a vegetarian (technically vegan) main dish or side dish, and can be served hot or cold. It's even better the next day if you're willing to be patient.
The variety of red, yellow, and orange creates a beautiful compliment to the rest of the dish, but you could easily use 1 ½ red bell peppers if you can't get the other colors.
Adapted from Thomas Keller

Nutrition