Confit Byaldi (Remy's Ratatouille à la Thomas Keller)
This elegant rendition of Provençal "peasant dish" ratatouille comes from culinary mastermind Thomas Keller. The classic 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.
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 136kcal
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
- 3 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:
- 1 green zucchini (4 ounces), sliced in 1/16-inch rounds
- 1 Japanese eggplant (4 ounces), sliced in 1/16-inch rounds
- 1 yellow summer squash (4 ounces), sliced in 1/16-inch rounds
- 3 Roma tomatoes sliced in 1/16-inch rounds
- ½ teaspoon minced garlic
- 2 sprigs thyme leaves removed and stem discarded
- 2 teaspoons 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 piperade, heat oven to 450°F. Place pepper halves on a foil-lined sheet, cut side down. Roast until skin loosens, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let rest until cool enough to handle. Peel and chop finely.
- Combine oil, garlic, and onion in medium skillet over low heat until very soft but not browned, about 8 minutes. Add tomatoes, their juices, thyme, parsley, and bay leaf. Simmer over low heat until very soft and very little liquid remains, about 10 minutes, do not brown; add peppers and simmer to soften them. Season to taste with salt, and discard herbs. Reserve 1 tablespoon of mixture and spread remainder in bottom of an 8-to-9-inch oven-proof skillet (I used a 9-inch All-Clad French skillet, had plenty of piperade and more than enough vegetables to use a larger skillet or baking dish next time).
- For vegetables, heat oven to 275°F. Starting from the outside working inward, arrange alternating slices of vegetables over piperade, overlapping so that ¼ inch of each slice is exposed. Repeat until pan is filled; all vegetables may not be needed.
- Mix garlic, oil, and thyme leaves in bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle over vegetables. Cover pan with foil and crimp edges to seal well. Bake until 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 vinaigrette, combine reserved piperade, oil, vinegar, herbs, and salt and pepper to taste in a bowl.
- To serve, heat broiler and place byaldi underneath until lightly browned. Slice in quarters and very carefully lift onto plate with offset spatula. Turn spatula 90 degrees, guiding byaldi into fan shape. Drizzle vinaigrette around plate. Serve hot.
Notes
Slightly Adapted from Recipe by Thomas Keller
Nutrition
Calories: 136kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Sodium: 863mg | Potassium: 507mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 9g