Provencal Ragout

This Provencal ragout is a four-hour, hands-off vegetable braise that turns a roasting pan full of chunky vegetables into something deeply savory and almost meaty. Eggplant, Roma tomatoes, new potatoes, button mushrooms, yellow squash, red peppers, celery, and black olives all go in together with red wine, vegetable stock, and a generous amount of dried thyme and basil.

Twelve whole garlic cloves roast alongside the vegetables until soft and golden, melting into the sauce and sweetening everything they touch. Stirring every 30 minutes ensures even cooking and keeps the bottom from scorching.

The uncovered roasting is key. It lets the liquid reduce slowly over the four hours, concentrating the flavors and caramelizing the edges of the vegetables. Top up with more wine or stock if it reduces too fast.

Pro Tips

• Cut all vegetables into similar-sized chunks so they cook at the same rate.
• Don’t peel the new potatoes. The skins hold them together during the long braise.
• Leave the garlic cloves whole. They soften into spreadable, sweet nuggets you can eat straight or mash into the sauce.
• This tastes even better reheated the next day after the flavors have had time to deepen.

Variations

• Add a can of white beans in the last hour for extra protein and body.
• Stir in a tablespoon of harissa at the end for a North African twist.
• Use fresh herbs instead of dried if you have them. Add them in the last 30 minutes so they keep their brightness.