Sopa de Pato

What goes into a ratatouille

Spicy Rat – Ratatouille with some Jalepeño pepper added for a bit of an additional kick. As you can imagine, the prep here (all done by hand) is somewhat time-consuming, but if you are stuck in Houston International waiting for La Guardia to clear, it is a great way to pass the time. We never cook from recipes as such, we just eyeball the quantities, just as you see here. This makes enough to fill three or four glass jars.

1. Fry the onion and garlic in a full cup of olive oil (don’t skimp on the oil or you’ll end up with veggie soup).
2. When softened add the rest of the ingredients.
3. Cook on low heat for an hour or so (stir well at the beginning so it doesn’t stick)
4. Let cool, freeze what you don’t need immediately. Spread on bread or crackers for nibbles or lunch. If you get the quantities right the oil should just begin to seprarate out a little when you are finished

We love this stuff. Left to right from top to bottom – all diced up pretty small:

• Eggplant
• Tomato
• Olive Oil
• Red Pepper
• Olives
• Black Pepper
• Jalepeño or Serrano Pepper
• Onion
• Zucchini
• Celery
• Bouquet Garni
• Garlic
• Salt to taste

Yum.