Tag: herbes de provence

Tian

9 April 2026

A delicious combination of tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant and onion. Add flavoured olive oil (garlic and Herbes de Provence), assemble and transfer to the oven. That’s all! The result is a Tian, a vibrant and very tasty dish. Thanks to the preperation in the oven, without additional liquid or sauce, the taste and aromas of the vegetables are pleasant and intense.

A few weeks ago, we prepared Ratatouille Niçoise. We read about variations such as Confit Bayaldi and saw beautiful presentations by Remy (Ratatouille) and other chefs. We also came across a recipe for Tian. Then it all made sense: the nouvelle cuisine version of ratatouille combines the ingredients and preparation of a classic ratatouille with the presentation of Tian.

Tian is the name of a ceramic casserole dish used in the Provence and other parts of France. The dish prepared in it is also called Tian. We found lots of versions, including a Tian d’Anchois, in Hélène Barale’s book La Cuisine Niçoise. A combination of a rich tomato sauce, fresh anchovies and bread.

When shopping for our Tian we wondered if we should add onion. Our greengrocer on the Cours Saleya in Nice was clear: white onions are mandatory.

What You Need
  • 1 Courgette or Zucchini
  • 1 Eggplant or Aubergine
  • Tomatoes
  • White Onion
  • 2 teaspoons (or more) Herbes de Provence
  • 2 cloves of Garlic
  • Black Pepper
  • Olive oil
What You Do
  1. Wash the zucchini, the tomatoes and the eggplant
  2. Heat your oven to 200 °C or 390 °F
  3. Slice the zucchini, the tomatoes and the eggplant into thin, evenly sized pieces.
  4. Cut the eggplant and/or zucchini slices in half to make layering easier.
  5. Slice the onion, but thinner
  6. Crush the garlic
  7. Combine garlic, olive oil and herbes de Provence 
  8. Coat the dish with half of the oil
  9. Assemble the dish
  10. Drizzle with the remaining oil-mixture
  11. Add some black pepper
  12. Sprinkle with some extra herbes de Provence
  13. Cover the dish with aluminium foil
  14. Bake for 20 minutes
  15. Remove the cover and continue baking for another 20–25 minutes
  16. Allow to cool for 10 minutes
  17. Serve in the dish
Tian ©cadwu with eggplant, zuchhini, white onion and tomatoes. Also herbes de provence, garlic, olive oil and black pepper
Tian - ready for the oven ©cadwu with eggplant, zuchhini, white onion and tomatoes. Also herbes de provence, garlic, olive oil and black pepper

Sauce Provençale

15 December 2021

Based on one of the leading (mother) sauces this is a quick, tasty and uplifting sauce with olives, capers and Herbes de Provence. The success of this sauce depends on the use of the intense, flavorful classic tomato sauce. Sauce Provençal has a good structure and comes with a variety of flavors, making it very much an accompaniment for grilled chicken or fish. If you use modern tomato sauce, then the result will be nice, but not as spectacular.

Herbes de Provence is a mixture of dried herbs such as oregano, thyme, rosemary, savory and perhaps sage and lavender. Feel free to create your own mixture. If you buy a ready-made mixture, make sure it has character, aromas and structure.

What You Need
  • Classic Tomato Sauce
  • One shallot
  • Two Tomatoes
  • One Glove of Garlic
  • Teaspoon of Herbes de Provence
  • Capers
  • Black Olives
  • Olive Oil
  • Black Pepper
What You Do
  1. Peel the tomatoes, remove the seeds and cut in small cubes
  2. Finely chop the shallot
  3. Wash and drain the capers
  4. Crush the garlic
  5. Slice the olives in two
  6. Heat a heavy iron skillet and gently glaze the shallot
  7. Add tomatoes, garlic and herbes de Provence
  8. Leave on low heat for 5 minutes
  9. Add the classic tomato sauce, the capers and the olives
  10. Leave for 5-10 minutes
  11. Stir the mixture gently
  12. You want to keep the structure of the tomatoes
  13. Taste and perhaps add some black pepper
Sauce Provençal with Grilled Chicken ©cadwu
Sauce Provençal with Grilled Chicken ©cadwu