Mushroom zacusca

Name: Mushroom zacusca
Ingredients: 250 ml water; 1 kg onion; 500 g carrots (5 medium); 3 kg roasted; peeled kapia peppers; 3 kg roasted; peeled peppers; 3 kg roasted; peeled eggplants; 2 kg boiled; drained mushrooms; 1000 ml oil; 8 bay leaves; 30 g salt; 1 teaspoon peppercorns; 2 tablespoons tomato paste; 2 tablespoons honey

Conserve - Mushroom zacusca by Emanuela B. - Recipia

Mushroom zacusca, a Romanian vegetable spread, gets the honey in the last 15 minutes, then spends another hour in the oven, in jars. The onion simmers in water, while the eggplants, peppers and mushrooms come together in a thick paste with a bay leaf flavor. I leave the bay leaves whole so I can easily take them out of the jar. Preparation: 60 minutes. Cooking: 240 minutes. Total time: 300 minutes. Servings: 50. About 250 kcal and 5 g protein per serving.

Ingredients

250 ml water
1 kg onion
500 g carrots (5 medium)
3 kg roasted
peeled kapia peppers
3 kg roasted
peeled peppers
3 kg roasted
peeled eggplants
2 kg boiled
drained mushrooms
1000 ml oil
8 bay leaves
30 g salt
1 teaspoon peppercorns
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons honey

Preparation

1. Chop the roasted, peeled eggplants. Put the roasted, peeled peppers and boiled mushrooms through a food processor. 2. Put the chopped onion and 250 ml of water in a large pot. Boil for 30 minutes. 3. Add the carrots processed in the food processor and boil for another 10 minutes. 4. Add the peppers processed in the food processor a little at a time and boil for another 30 minutes. 5. Add the eggplants, mushrooms, 8 bay leaves, 1000 ml of oil, 30 g of salt and 1 teaspoon of peppercorns. Boil, stirring often, until 3 hours have passed from the start of cooking. The mixture thickens and there is no liquid left on the surface. 6. In the last 15 minutes, add 2 tablespoons of tomato paste and 2 tablespoons of honey. 7. Pour the hot mixture into hot jars and seal them. Arrange the jars in a baking tray and put them in the oven at 120°C for 60 minutes.

Notes

For the roasted vegetables, count on about 5 kg of eggplants and 5 kg of each type of pepper, so you'll have the required 3 kg of each after peeling and cleaning. Meaty eggplants with small seeds are easier to chop and give a more even mixture. Wild mushrooms have a stronger aroma than champignons, so the mix of varieties changes the flavor. If the peppers or mushrooms have released a lot of liquid, drain them well before adding them to the pot, or the cooking may take longer. I leave the bay leaves whole so I can easily take them out of the jar. The onion simmers in water because fried food doesn't agree with my husband; the flavor is more like a vegetable stew than one made with browned onion. You can replace the honey with 2 tablespoons of sugar. Serve the zacusca on toast or alongside mashed beans. After opening, keep the jar in the fridge and use it within 3 days at most.