What classic French dish does Remy cook for Anton Ego?

Remy cooks ratatouille for the food critic Anton Ego.

The dish is a vegetable preparation traditionally associated with southern France. In the film, Remy serves a refined version called confit byaldi, rather than presenting the chunky home-style preparation many viewers expect from the word ratatouille.

When Ego tastes it, the dish triggers a vivid memory of his mother’s cooking and briefly transports him back to childhood. That emotional reaction changes his response to the restaurant: instead of dismissing the meal, he recognizes the talent and feeling behind it. The scene turns a humble dish into the film’s dramatic and thematic climax.

Cassoulet, coq au vin, and bouillabaisse are also classic French dishes, but none is the meal Remy prepares for Ego. Ratatouille is both the dish’s name and the film’s title.