Ratatouille niçoise — Nice, France

Ratatouille is a stew of late-summer vegetables — aubergine, courgette, pepper, onion and tomato — cooked in olive oil until soft and lightly caramelised. The word itself started out as an Occitan term for any rough-and-ready stew, applied to all kinds of vegetable mixtures long before it settled on this particular combination. It is reported chiefly from Nice and the surrounding Comté, where cooks gave the dish the form by which it is now known, closely enough tied to the town that its name became an adjective for it. Versions differ across Provence in how far the vegetables are cooked and whether they are layered or mixed, but the Niçois practice is one of the most commonly cited. Each vegetable is cut into similar-sized pieces and browned separately in olive oil — aubergine first, then courgette, then pepper — so that each keeps its own texture rather than turning to mush together. Onions are softened, then tomatoes, garlic and thyme are added and cooked down into a compote; only at this point are the browned vegetables folded back in, seasoned and simmered gently until they hold together loosely. Basil is stirred in at the very end, off the heat, to keep its scent. What sets this way of cooking ratatouille apart from quicker versions is precisely this separation of steps: rather than stewing everything together from the start, each vegetable is given its own moment in the pan before the final assembly. Cooks describe the result as holding its shape rather than collapsing into a purée, and many find it improved by resting overnight before being reheated.