
Ratatouille with Baked Eggs
Inspired by Anne Willan
- 2 medium eggplants, peeled, halved lengthwise, then halved crosswise, and sliced into 3/8″ pieces
- 4 zucchini, cut into 3/8″ rounds
- 1 red onion, coarsely chopped
- 1 sweet yellow onion, coarsely chopped
- 1 orange bell pepper, coarsely chopped
- 1 yellow bell pepper, coarsely chopped
- 4 ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped (off season, you could use 4 cups chopped canned tomatoes)
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 8 cloves garlic, minced
- 1-1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- Bouquet garni (3 sprigs parsley, 2 sprigs thyme, 1 bay leaf tied together with kitchen string)
- Kosher salt
- Fresh ground black pepper
- 6 eggs
- Drizzle of olive oil
- Fresh-grated parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
Directions
1. Spread the eggplant and zucchini on baking sheets, sprinkle with salt and let stand for about 30 minutes to draw out the juices. Rinse with cold water, drain, and blot dry with paper towels.
2. In a small bowl, mix the minced garlic and coriander with a little salt and ground black pepper.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions and season with salt and pepper. Sauté until translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove pan from heat.
4. Layer the eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes and peppers on top of the onions, sprinkling each layer with the garlic mixture. Spoon the remaining oil over the top and push the bouquet garni into the vegetables. Cover and simmer gently over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes. Uncover and stir in the tomato paste. Cook uncovered 10 minutes more. Discard the bouquet garni and taste for seasoning.
5. Preheat oven to 425 °F. Spread about 6 cups of ratatouille into a large baking dish. Make 6 hollows in the ratatouille and crack 1 egg into each hollow. Drizzle each egg with olive oil. Bake until the egg whites are set but the yolks are still soft, 10 to 12 minutes. Garnish with fresh-grated parmesan, chopped parsley and chopped basil. Serve immediately.
Serves 6