Name: Escalivada (Catalan Roasted Vegetables)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Spanish
Ingredients: 250 g Eggplant, whole, pierced lightly; 180 g Red Bell Pepper, whole; 150 g Onion, whole or halved if large; 150 g Tomato, whole; 2 clove Garlic, unpeeled; 2½ tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil, for roasting and finishing; 1 tbsp Sherry Vinegar; ¾ tsp Salt; ¼ tsp Black Peppercorns, freshly crushed; 1 tbsp Parsley, chopped, for finishing

50 mintotal

25 min hands-on25 min hands-off

Prep 10 min · Cook 40 min

Serves: 2
Difficulty: Easy
Spice: None

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Method

Preheat the oven. Rub the brinjal, capsicum, onion, tomato, and unpeeled garlic with a little of the measured olive oil.
Roast until the vegetables collapse slightly and the skins are blistered and smoky.
Cover the roasted vegetables for a few minutes, then peel away the loosened skins from the brinjal, capsicum, and tomato.
Tear or slice the vegetables into strips. Squeeze the roasted garlic from its skin and mix it gently through the vegetables.
Dress with the remaining olive oil, sherry vinegar, salt, black pepper, and parsley. Serve warm or at room temperature.

How to tell it's done

The vegetables should be silky, smoky, and tender, with enough olive oil to gloss the surface.

Getting it right

Tip

Let the vegetables steam under cover after roasting; this makes peeling easier and keeps the flesh moist.

What to serve it with

Serve as a side, tapa, or topping for tomato bread.

Common mistakes

The skins will not come away from the peppers.: Cover the vegetables as soon as they come out of the oven and let them steam for ten minutes. The trapped steam is what loosens the skin; peeling straight from the tray takes the flesh with it.
The dish is watery on the plate.: Let the peeled strips drain in a colander for a few minutes before dressing. Roasted peppers and aubergine hold a lot of liquid, and it dilutes the oil and vinegar.

Substitutions

Use Vinegar if Sherry Vinegar is unavailable, but the Spanish character will be milder.
Yellow Capsicum can replace Red Capsicum if needed.
Roasting over flame gives a smokier result, but oven roasting is more practical.

Storing and reheating

Keeps five days in the fridge under a layer of olive oil and improves over the first two — this is a dish made to be kept. Bring it back to room temperature before serving; cold oil dulls it. Do not freeze.

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Ingredients