Eggplant Caviar

Zacusca is a traditional Romanian dish, full of flavors and taste, perfect to be enjoyed on fresh bread or as a side dish to various meals. We start with the necessary ingredients: 500 g onions, 4 medium eggplants, 3 bell peppers, 4 sweet peppers, 1.5 liters of tomato juice, 2-3 tablespoons of oil, salt and pepper to taste, 2-3 bay leaves, and a preservative or vinegar for preservation.

The first step is to take care of the onions. They are finely chopped and added to a large pot along with the oil. It is important to cover the pot with a lid to allow the onions to soften and release their aroma. We stir occasionally to ensure they do not stick to the bottom of the pot. This stage lasts about an hour and a half.

Meanwhile, we prepare the roasted vegetables. The eggplants, bell peppers, and sweet peppers are grilled until the skin burns and the vegetables become soft. Once cooled, we peel them and pass them through a meat grinder. These vegetables will add an intense flavor and a delicious texture to our zacusca.

After the onions are well cooked, we add the chopped vegetables to the large pot, along with salt, pepper, and bay leaves. We mix all the ingredients well and let them simmer on low heat for about an hour. It is essential to stir frequently to avoid burning the zacusca. After this time, we add the tomato juice and the preservative, continuing to boil the mixture for another 30 minutes to an hour.

While the zacusca is boiling, we prepare the jars. They should be washed thoroughly and left to dry. It is recommended to use sterile jars to ensure that the zacusca will be kept in optimal conditions. When the zacusca is ready, we prepare the jars for filling. We place them on a baking tray or use a knife blade to carefully pour the zacusca into each jar, leaving a little space at the top.

After filling all the jars, we heat a little oil and pour it over each jar. This step helps create a better seal and maintain the freshness of the dish. Once the jars are tightly closed with clean lids, we place them in the pot where we prepared the zacusca, adding water and paper between them to prevent clinking.

We let the jars sterilize on low heat until the water begins to boil, then we let them simmer for 10-15 minutes. After this stage, we leave the jars in the water until the next day, which helps with optimal preservation. In the end, I got about 22 small jars of zacusca, each full of flavors and autumn memories. This recipe will not only delight your taste buds but will also bring a piece of Romanian culinary tradition into every jar.