Zacuscă with roasted eggplant

Name: Zacuscă with roasted eggplant
Ingredients: 6 large eggplants; 1 kg gogosari peppers; 2 kg capia peppers and bell peppers; 1 kg tomatoes; 500 g onion; 125 ml olive oil; 3 bay leaves; 1 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

Appetizers - Zacuscă with roasted eggplant by Leontina K. - Recipia

Zacuscă with roasted eggplant is a Romanian vegetable relish with eggplant and roasted peppers left in strips, a bit like a vegetable stew, with visible pieces. After a slow simmer, it thickens into a hearty mixture where the eggplant and peppers stay recognizable, while the tomatoes and onion hold everything together; the texture is closer to stew than a smooth paste. For eggplant, I look for smooth, firm skin with no soft spots. Prep: 60 minutes. Cook: 183 minutes. Rest: 30 minutes. Total time: 273 minutes. Servings: 16. Approximately 190 kcal and 4 g protein per serving.

Ingredients

6 large eggplants
1 kg gogosari peppers
2 kg capia peppers and bell peppers
1 kg tomatoes
500 g onion
125 ml olive oil
3 bay leaves
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C. Roast the eggplants for 45 minutes, the gogosari peppers and other peppers for 30 minutes, and the tomatoes for 20 minutes, removing each vegetable when the skin is blackened and the flesh is soft. 2. Peel and seed the vegetables. Leave the eggplants to drain for 30 minutes, then tear all the vegetables into strips. 3. Heat 125 ml of oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion, sliced into thin strips, and cook for 8 minutes, until slightly translucent. 4. Add the vegetable strips to the pan, along with 3 bay leaves, 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of ground pepper. Simmer over low heat for 120 minutes, stirring now and then, until the liquid has reduced and the mixture has thickened. 5. Sterilize the jars in boiling water for 10 minutes. Fill them with the hot zacuscă: two 800 g jars and four 400 g jars.

Notes

Spread it on toast while it’s warm, or serve it with mamaliga. I keep the oil measured, because I don’t like a greasy layer left on top. This batch doesn’t seem likely to last through the winter, so keep the jars close at hand. Very large eggplants can have lots of seeds, while smaller ones roast faster; check them sooner. After roasting, cover the gogosari peppers in a bowl for 10 minutes; the steam makes the skins easier to peel. Meaty tomatoes release less liquid than juicy ones, which can make the mixture take longer to thicken. Once cool, keep it in the fridge and eat it within 3 days.