Rice Ratafif
Or the ratatouille of my Philippe
Created and cooked by him
Ingredients:
2 thin zucchini
1 medium eggplant
1 yellow pepper
½ red pepper
400g cherry tomatoes (or 4 tomatoes)
1-1 ½ tablespoons of herbs de Provence
Basil 1 tablespoon dried coffee
2 bay leaves
Salt and pepper
50-60 ml of oil
2-3 tablespoons of rice round
Preparation:
Without peeling, cut the zucchini and eggplant into slices, then in half-moons or quarters. Finely chop the peppers. Halve the cherry tomatoes. Do not peel them either.
Heat a couple tablespoons of oil in a large skillet (28 to 30 cm in diameter). Sauté the zucchini over medium heat until softened and get a fresh color (about 10 minutes). Salt. When ready, transfer them in a deep saucepan. We use an 8-liter pressure cooker, which is beyond the necessary volume, but does a great job anyway.
Sauté the eggplant in the same way. Add salt and a little oil. Once softened, dip them in the pan next to the zucchini. Repeat the same pattern with the peppers and tomatoes (always separately).
When all the vegetables are already in the pot, season them with all the spices listed above and pour as much boiling water as needed to cover them halfway up. Drizzle once again with oil and check the salt level.
Seal the pressure cooker, set on 10 minutes cooking and heat as prescribed in the manual of the pan (allow 20-30 minutes of cooking for a normal pan). Then add the rice, pour a little hot water (just enough to cover the vegetable up to 2/3). Resume cooking for another 8 minutes (or 20 minutes for a normal pot). Cooked, the dish must remain juicy with a touch of sauce that does not disappear after cooling).
The Ratafif is as aromatic and delicious hot as cold. Serve according to taste.
