Whole30: Ratatouille with Sausage

I’ll admit, the first time I ever made ratatouille was after I saw the animated Disney film. I was curious, and there was a recipe in my copy of The Joy of Cooking (I didn’t have Mastering the Art yet). So I gathered all the ingredients and followed the step-by-step instructions to a T. It was a cooking curiosity. In the pan, out of the pan. In the pan, out of the pan. If you’ve ever made ratatouille, you know what I’m talking about.

I’ve made ratatouille many times since, seeking out my own way of doing things. Julia Child’s method is a bit different from the method in Joy. But every recipe out there follows the same principle of cooking things separately and then joining them together at the end. Once, and only once, I tried shortcutting the process and threw everything into the pan together from the start. Big mistake.

The beauty of ratatouille is the vibrancy of flavors involved and the way they both stand out distinctly on your palate and meld together seamlessly at the same time. There’s nothing else like it. But you have to follow the process to get the right result. It’s worth it, I promise.

I finish my ratatouille in the oven rather than on the stovetop, as it’s just too easy to scorch the bottom of the pan otherwise. I’ve found the oven is a safe way to complete the final step of allowing the layers of vegetables and herbs to simmer together without ruining the bottom of the dish.

I began adding sausage to my ratatouille after I met E. You may have heard me mention before that a dinner without meat is, for him, simply incomplete. I realize the likes of Gordon Ramsay might consider this sacrilege and say I’m bastardizing an ages-old traditional French dish, but I think the sausage is really complementary. I use Andouille, which is a spicy French sausage used in the U.S. in Creole dishes such as jambalaya and gumbo. If I can’t find Andouille, then I bastardize across cultures and use spicy Italian sausage. You could also use sweet Italian sausage if milder is more your thing.

When we started the Whole30, ratatouille came to mind as a dinner option almost immediately. Its ingredients consist of vegetables, herbs, and olive oil. That’s it. And really, it’s amazing that such a simple list of garden variety items can be transformed into something so incredibly delectable.

Ratatouille with Sausage
adapted from The Joy of Cooking and Mastering the Art of French Cooking

1 pound sausages in casings (Andouille or Italian)
1 medium eggplant (approximately a pound), peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 pound zucchini, cut into 1-inch chunks
2 large onions, sliced thinly (about 1-1/2 cups)
2 large sweet red peppers, cut into strips
4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
14 ounces diced tomatoes in their juice
2-3 sprigs fresh thyme, chopped, or 1/2 teaspoon dried
1 bay leaf
A scant handful fresh basil, chiffonaded
Sliced or chopped black olives (optional)
Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
Olive oil, up to 1/2 cup

Chop and slice all the vegetables and the basil.

In a deep skillet, put the sausages in about 1/4 inch water over medium-high heat. Poach, turning once, as the water cooks off. When the water has evaporated, continue to cook for a few minutes, turning once again, until the sausages are browned and a little crispy on the outside. Cut into 1-inch slices. Set aside on a plate lined with paper towels, to drain.

Preheat the oven to 375°.

In a deep, wide oven-proof skillet or a Dutch oven, heat about 1/4 cup olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the eggplant and zucchini and cook, stirring continually, until the vegetables are tender and golden, about 10 minutes, then remove to a plate or bowl and set aside.

Add a little more olive oil to the pan along with the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, over medium-high heat until slightly softened. Add the bell peppers and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, another 10 minutes, until everything is tender. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove to a plate or bowl.