The question, "What meat goes with
ratatouille?", is the one that readers ask most often.
Well, just look at the ingredients that go into it: olive oil, garlic, peppers, eggplant, tomatoes... don't they remind you of Greece, of North Africa? And what's the meat of choice there?
Lamb, of course!
Personally, when I have some
ratatouille in the fridge I usually make it my no-meat meal of the day.
I try to have only one meal with meat each day, the other main meal being either a vegeterian soup like
soupe au pistou with parmesan cheese on top, or an omelet or frittata with a salad, or an egg salad sandwich on my fabulous homemade multigrain bread with a carrot salad -- that sort of thing. Breakfast is always oatmeal.
I like it plain and cold, or
au gratin like in this picture
, or in a quiche or over some pasta.
But if I'm going to have my
ratatouille with some meat, then for Epicure's sake let it be a couple of
lamb chops. Or a slow-simmered lamb stew, yum!
And if it's summer and I'm invited to a
steak barbecue (I don't own a barbecue myself, too many mosquitoes around here!), then I'll bring some
ratatouille to eat cold, as a chutney... the combination of tastes is simply awesome.
By the same token, it will also go well with just about anything cooked on the grill. The thing to remember is that
ratatouille is a strong-flavored dish and it will overwhelm anything bland, so try to pair it with something that will work with it.
If in doubt, try it and let your taste buds decide!
HOW TO MAKE RATATOUILLE
The above taste experiences will only happen if your
ratatouille itself is up to it.
If you need some
ratatouille recipes, look no further than
my previous post, where you will also find several recipes, including a link to
the Julia Child ratatouille recipe from
Mastering the Art of French Cooking
-- as well as the history of
ratatouille.
Bon appétit!
