Ratatouille with Herbed Crêpes
Ratatouille is a traditional French dish of stewed vegetables, usually tomatoes, eggplant and onions. There are many variations, and you can serve it over rice, pasta or by itself as a side dish.
I usually like to eat it with couscous, but I recently saw it served with crêpes on a restaurant menu, and decided to try it this way.
I made the crêpe batter and was looking for something to add some flavor when I realized I had a bunch of fresh herbs in the fridge, so I chopped them up and threw them in there. Not only did they add a bright pop of flavor, but they added visual appeal too
My version of ratatouille starts with sliced onions, zucchini, eggplant and peppers. I sauté those until very soft with some garlic and Italian herbs, and add some tomatoes and oil cured olives. Serve it with the crêpes, topped with slivered basil and goat cheese for a finished dish that will wow even the harshest critics.
The crêpe batter should be made and let sit overnight for best results and flavor, but I skipped this and it was still delicious, so if you’re short on time, don’t worry about that.
Ratatouille with Herbed Crêpes
Crêpes
4 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons melted butter
1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs, such as parsley, basil, rosemary or any combination
Ratatouille
2 tbsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 red onion, sliced
1 medium eggplant, diced
1 red pepper, cored and sliced into strips
1 zucchini, sliced
1 tbsp Italian seasoning
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes
1/4 cup red wine
1/4 cup pitted and chopped oil cured black olives
Goat cheese and slivered basil for garnish
To make the crêpes
Beat the flour and the eggs in a large bowl. Stream in the milk , add the salt, butter and herbs, blend until smooth.
On a small nonstick skillet, melt a tsp of butter. Pour in the crêpe batter and cook on both sides until cooked through.
For the ratatouille
Heat the olive oil on medium high in a large skillet. Add the onions and garlic and sauté until soft. Add the herbs and the rest of the vegetables except the tomatoes and cook until they are all soft. Add the tomatoes and the wine and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the olives.
To serve, spoon the ratatouille onto a crêpe and top with some goat cheese and basil.
Have you ever had ratatouille? If so, what is your favorite way to eat it?
