The idea behind this recipe, inspired by the famous Ratatouille, is to incorporate Wakame Seaweed, which lends a slight anchovy flavor to the traditional Ratatouille recipe. The Ratatouille is a traditional dish from Provence, France, made with 5 kinds of sliced summer vegetables mixed with garlic, thyme, and bay leaves and baked slowly in the oven. In this recipe, I will use canned cherry tomatoes because it’s not the peak season for cherry tomatoes – I use fresh tomatoes in July, August, and September due to seasonality. I think the umami richness of flavor in this aromatic vegetarian dish celebrates summer’s regional bounty, and reflects the maritime spirit of Nice.

Ingredients

• 2.5 kg tin of cherry tomatoes
• 2 kg yellow and red peppers
• 2 kg small white courgettes
• 2 kg aubergines
• 2 kg straw onions
• 6 cloves of garlic, deseeded (or wild garlic equivalent)
• 50 cl olive oil
• 10 bay leaves
• 2 bunches of thyme
• Fine grey salt from Guérande
• Freshly cracked black pepper
• Wakamé seaweed, sliced (quantity to taste)

Method

1. Rinse all the vegetables thoroughly. Remove the seeds from the peppers, peel the onions, and trim the ends of the vegetables.
2. Cut the aubergines, courgettes, onions, and peppers into 2 cm cubes.
3. In a large pan with a bit of olive oil, cook each vegetable separately until lightly browned and tender. Set each aside as you go.
4. Slice the wakamé and sauté it gently in a pan with olive oil for about 5 minutes.
5. In a separate pan, cook the sliced garlic in olive oil until golden. Add the cherry tomatoes, bay leaves, and thyme. Simmer gently, seasoning with fine grey salt and black pepper.
6. Combine all the pre-cooked vegetables and wakamé with the cherry tomato mixture in a deep oven-safe dish. Mix gently to integrate flavors without breaking the vegetables.
7. Cover the dish and bake in a preheated oven at 150°C (300°F) for 3 hours.
8. Remove from the oven and let rest, covered, for an additional 3 hours to allow the flavors to meld and deepen.

Serve warm or at room temperature, ideally with crusty bread and a sea breeze.

Chef Romain Delacretaz transitioned from the world of finance to establish Table Marine, where he curates exquisite sensory dining experiences, featuring meals inspired by both land and sea in the port of Nice, France. Follow Table Marine on Instagram at: table.marine