Baked Ratatouille With Cheese Custard Recipes

BAKED RATATOUILLE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Heat oil in a heavy, large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add garlic; stir 1 minute.
• Add eggplant, green bell peppers, tomatoes, onion, zucchini and basil. Saute for 5 minutes.
• Cover and simmer until all vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally, about 25 minutes.
• Uncover pot and simmer until juice thickens, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.
• Mix in vinegar; season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Spread in 9-inch pie dish.
• Sprinkle with cheese, if desired.
• Bake until heated through, about 20 minutes.

BAKED RATATOUILLE WITH CHEESE CUSTARD

Steps:

• Make ratatouille:
• In a 12-inch non-stick skillet heat 2 tablespoons oil over moderate heat until hot but not smoking and cook half of eggplant, stirring frequently, until golden brown and tender, about 6 minutes. Transfer cooked eggplant to a 2- to 2 1/2-quart gratin dish or other shallow baking dish. Cook remaining eggplant in 2 tablespoons oil in same manner and add to dish.
• In skillet cook onions, garlic, and red pepper flakes in remaining tablespoon oil over moderately low heat, stirring, until onions are softened. Add bell peppers and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 8 minutes. Stir in remaining ratatouille ingredients and simmer, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Season mixture with salt and additional pepper and spoon evenly over eggplant.
• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Make cheese custard:
• In a 1 1/2-quart heavy saucepan melt butter over moderately low heat and whisk in flour. Cook roux, whisking, 3 minutes and whisk in milk in a stream and salt and pepper to taste. Bring sauce to boil, whisking constantly, and simmer, whisking, 2 minutes. Stir in Parmesan and remove pan from heat. In a heatproof bowl whisk yolks together and whisk in about one fourth of sauce. Whisk yolk mixture into remaining sauce.
• Spoon custard over ratatouille. Ratatouille may be prepared up to this point 4 hours ahead and chilled, covered.
• Bake ratatouille in middle of oven 45 minutes, or until custard is lightly browned. Cool ratatouille 10 minutes before serving.