{"id":3178,"date":"2024-01-24T23:20:56","date_gmt":"2024-01-24T23:20:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mjmezza.com.au\/?post_type=recipes&p=3178"},"modified":"2024-01-28T23:20:12","modified_gmt":"2024-01-28T23:20:12","slug":"ratatouille-with-goats-cheese-balls","status":"publish","type":"recipes","link":"https:\/\/mjmezza.com.au\/recipes\/ratatouille-with-goats-cheese-balls\/","title":{"rendered":"Ratatouille with Goats Cheese Balls"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Serves 2 | Prep time: 20 mins\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Few dishes celebrate seasonal produce better than ratatouille. This classic French dish is a symphony of vibrant colours, robust flavours and the unmistakable essence of Mediterranean cuisine. Like all dishes that have been around longer than we care to think about, there is no \u2018correct\u2019 way of doing it; it comes down to personal preference.<\/p>\n

Ratatouille is a combination of two French words: rata<\/em> meaning stew, and touiller <\/em>meaning to stir or toss. Some people really stick hard with the stew part of the name and cook their beautiful vegetables for several hours until the dish is a homogenous lumpy mess of indistinct flavours. You can guess what we think of that.<\/p>\n

We suggest going about things differently.<\/p>\n

Want the perfect ratatouille? Cook the vegetables separately!<\/strong><\/p>\n

Different vegetables require different cooking times. A zucchini, for instance, may not need to be cooked for as long as capsicum.<\/p>\n

The key behind the perfect ratatouille is cooking each vegetable separately; this way, each is cooked to perfection, fried gently instead of steamed, and taken off the heat when it still has some body and character. While all the vegetables will be united by the end and served together, we want each to carry its weight, demand the same level of attention and be distinguishable on the pallet \u2013 while still creating a harmonious dish.<\/p>\n

Sounds difficult? It really, really isn\u2019t.<\/p>\n

Our ratatouille doesn\u2019t require any more effort<\/strong><\/p>\n

You may think this is a more labour-intensive ratatouille than simply throwing all the veggies in together, but it isn\u2019t. If all veggies are in the same pan at the same time, they are going to take longer to cook and a lot more stirring to ensure they get their fair share against the heat. In the end, some chunks of veggies are nicely browned, while many have simply been steamed and lack the benefits of the maillard reaction that truly highlights their beautiful flavours.<\/p>\n

So don\u2019t be put off by the idea of cooking each vegetable separately; it doesn\u2019t take longer, and it tastes a whole lot better. Let\u2019s get to it.<\/p>\n

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Ingredients<\/h3>\n