Eggplant Caviar
Eggplant zacusca – a rustic delight, perfect for autumn evenings, reminding us of the delicacies lovingly prepared by our grandmothers. This simple and quick recipe combines fresh ingredients with unmistakable flavors, transforming into a savory appetizer or a perfect side dish for any meal. Let’s discover together how to prepare an excellent eggplant zacusca, step by step!
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour
Total time: 1 hour and 30 minutes
Number of servings: 4 jars of 400 g
Ingredients:
- 2 large eggplants
- 2 yellow peppers
- 2 bell peppers (capia peppers)
- 2 large onions
- 1 cup of olive oil (or sunflower oil)
- 1 tablespoon of salt
- 1/2 teaspoon of ground black pepper
- 1-2 tablespoons of tomato paste (optional)
- Vinegar (optional, for a tangy taste)
Step 1: Preparing the vegetables
Start by washing the eggplants, yellow peppers, and bell peppers well. Roast them in the oven or on the grill until the skin turns black and peels off easily. Roast the eggplants whole, and cut the peppers in half, cut side up. Once roasted, let the vegetables cool slightly, then peel them. It is recommended to let them drain well to achieve a thicker zacusca.
Step 2: Chopping the vegetables
After the vegetables have cooled, chop them finely. A sharp knife is essential for achieving uniform pieces. You can also use a food processor to save time, but make sure not to puree them completely – we want a pleasant texture, not a mash.
Step 3: Cooking
In a large pot, add the oil and finely chopped onion. Sauté the onion over medium heat until it becomes translucent. Then, add the chopped vegetables – eggplants, peppers, and bell peppers. Mix well and let simmer on low heat for about 40 minutes. Stir occasionally to avoid sticking.
Step 4: Seasoning
After the vegetables have cooked and thickened the mixture, add salt, pepper, and, if desired, tomato paste. This will enhance the flavor and provide a beautiful color hue. Taste and adjust the seasonings to your liking. If you prefer a tangier taste, you can add a little vinegar, but be careful not to add too much.
Step 5: Bottling
After the zacusca has been cooked, let it cool slightly before pouring it into sterilized jars. Seal the jars tightly and, for better preservation, you can turn them upside down for a few minutes.
Serving suggestions:
Eggplant zacusca is delicious on a slice of fresh bread, alongside cottage cheese, or as a side dish for meats. You can also serve it as part of an appetizer platter, alongside olives and pickled vegetables.
Possible variations:
For an exotic touch, you can add some chopped green olives or kalamata olives. You can also experiment with spices, adding basil or thyme for a more complex flavor.
This eggplant zacusca is more than just a simple dish; it is a gastronomic experience that will remind you of the moments spent with loved ones. Enjoy it with pleasure!
Eggplant zacusca is delicious. For this, the eggplants, yellow peppers, and bell peppers are roasted and peeled. They are left to drain, after which they are finely chopped together with the peeled onion and the chopped capia pepper. In a large pot, heat the oil (1 1/2) and then add the onion, followed by the chopped capia pepper (raw). Sauté well together for about half an hour. Meanwhile, boil water to blanch the tomatoes for a few minutes. After blanching, peel and finely chop them. To obtain a fresh tomato sauce, add the tomatoes to a pan where you have heated a bit of oil and thin it with water. Over the onion, add the fresh tomato sauce, then the eggplants, peppers, and bell peppers (roasted), all chopped. Mix well. Let them simmer a bit and stir quite often to prevent sticking to the bottom of the pot used. Add tomato juice (1 liter or even more, depending on the consistency you want the zacusca to have). Adjust with salt, pepper, and add bay leaves... let it simmer for an hour on low heat and stir very, very often to prevent sticking. Remove the bay leaves from the eggplant zacusca and blend it until smooth. Place the zacusca in clean, dry jars placed on a tray, leaving the jar empty by about a finger's width... then put them in the oven at 50°C for 15 minutes, after which gradually increase the temperature to 70°C and leave them there for one hour to form a crust in the jar. Meanwhile, heat 1/2 of oil, add a few bay leaves, peppercorns, and a bit of salt (a teaspoon). Remove the jars briefly and add 2-3 tablespoons of hot oil to each jar. Put the lids on and tighten each jar as much as possible. Let them sit like this for at least an hour at 70°C, then increase the temperature to 90°C for another hour, turn off the oven, and leave the jars in the oven until the next day, after which they should be stored in a cool winter pantry. Eggplant zacusca is served with fresh homemade bread.
Ingredients: 12 kg of eggplants, 2 kg of yellow peppers (for stuffing, for example), 2 kg of bell peppers, 2 kg of red capia peppers, 1.5 liters of oil (for frying), 0.5 liters of oil (for topping in a jar), 4 kg of tomatoes, 3 kg of onions, 1 liter of tomato juice, salt, pepper, bay leaves.
