Escalivada/Catalonian Roasted Pepper and Eggplant
Photo by Jennifer Harington Brizzi
This simple salad/relish is good with grilled fish or meat, as a side dish, or can top toast or grilled bread. You can cut the vegetable pieces large or small depending on their use. Escalivar is a Catalan verb that means to cook over embers or roast. Although in deepest tradition the vegetables were cooked over a wood fire, it is common today for restaurants and home cooks alike to roast them in the oven instead. Key to this dish is the use of the best ingredients: in season, local peppers and eggplants for finest flavor. The optional cayenne is here because in Spain sweet peppers have a bit more heat than ours do.
4 sweet peppers, red, orange, yellow, green, or any combination
3-4 small eggplants, Italian or Asian (about 1 1/2 lb)
4 very small sweet onions, such as red, Vidalia or cipolline
5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
Pinch cayenne pepper (optional)
2 medium cloves garlic
Handful of fresh flat leaf parsley leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 500º F.
Rinse, dry, and coat peppers, eggplants and onions with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Place on a baking tray with sides or in a large roasting pan. Roast for 30 minutes, turning often, until soft and partially browned. Put in paper bags and close; let cool 15-20 minutes or so.
Peel peppers, reserving juices in a large bowl; strain out seeds. Cut pepper flesh into thin strips about an inch long and add to juices in bowl. Peel eggplant and cut into thin strips as well. Add to bowl. Peel onions, chop coarsely and add to bowl.
Add remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil, along with cayenne, if used, and toss to mix. Chop garlic with parsley and mix in, along with the salt. Add pepper and additional salt, to taste.
Copyright 2012 Jennifer Brizzi
4 sweet peppers, red, orange, yellow, green, or any combination
3-4 small eggplants, Italian or Asian (about 1 1/2 lb)
4 very small sweet onions, such as red, Vidalia or cipolline
5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
Pinch cayenne pepper (optional)
2 medium cloves garlic
Handful of fresh flat leaf parsley leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 500º F.
Rinse, dry, and coat peppers, eggplants and onions with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Place on a baking tray with sides or in a large roasting pan. Roast for 30 minutes, turning often, until soft and partially browned. Put in paper bags and close; let cool 15-20 minutes or so.
Peel peppers, reserving juices in a large bowl; strain out seeds. Cut pepper flesh into thin strips about an inch long and add to juices in bowl. Peel eggplant and cut into thin strips as well. Add to bowl. Peel onions, chop coarsely and add to bowl.
Add remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil, along with cayenne, if used, and toss to mix. Chop garlic with parsley and mix in, along with the salt. Add pepper and additional salt, to taste.
Copyright 2012 Jennifer Brizzi
