French · Authentic-ish French
Ratatouille
148 kcal a serving, against 602 for the traditional version. That is 454 kcal off, or 75%, with 4.6g of protein. Serves 6. 1 hour.
What the traditional version is
The classic method is an exercise in patience and massive oil consumption. You chop aubergines, courgettes and peppers, then fry each batch in a frying pan until soft. Because an aubergine is essentially a dry sponge, it drinks every single drop of oil you pour into the pan. Everything's then combined with onions, garlic and tomatoes, before simmering slowly until it collapses into a rich, oily, silken stew.
What changed, and what each change costs
Deep-fried aubergine for dry-roasted aubergine
Aubergine acts exactly like a sponge. Frying it means it absorbs a massive amount of fat before it even starts to cook. I roast it dry in the oven so it softens without soaking up oil.
What it costs you. You lose that incredibly luxurious, melting texture that only comes from deep-frying. The roasted aubergine is a bit firmer and definitely less rich.
150g of olive oil down to 30g
The traditional recipe relies on heavy oil to break down the courgettes and peppers in the pan. I toss them in a strictly measured amount of oil and let the oven's dry heat concentrate their flavour instead.
What it costs you. The final stew isn't bound together by an emulsion of tomato juice and olive oil. It feels lighter and less like a heavy main course, leaning closer to a side dish.
The numbers
| Per serving | Traditional | Lightened |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 602 | 148 |
| Protein | 4.8g | 4.6g |
| Fat | 57.6g | 5.9g |
| Saturated fat | 7.7g | 0.9g |
| Carbohydrate | 20.5g | 23.6g |
| Protein per 100 kcal | 0.8g | 3.1g |
Every figure is computed from the recipe's own weighed ingredient list against public food composition databases. The appendix in Authentic-ish French prints the exact database row used for each ingredient, so any number here can be checked.
The method is in the book
You end up with a bright and punchy plate of summer vegetables. The version that's a slick, oily restaurant side dish is still out there and still better. By ditching the heavy frying process, the natural sweetness of the red peppers and tomatoes actually comes forward. You get a much cleaner flavour profile, and you won't feel completely weighed down after eating a bowl of it. There's a lot to be said for keeping things simple. Serve it warm with a massive chunk of crusty bread.
The quantities and the method for this dish are in Authentic-ish French, along with 54 more. Buy the paperback