Escalivada

Ingredients

• 2 eggplant
• 3 red bell pepper
• 2 onion
• 2 tomato
• 4 garlic, crushed
• 6 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Method

1. 1.

   Oil the vegetables for roasting — Heat the oven to 200 °C. Prick the aubergines a few times with a fork, then rub them along with the whole peppers, onions and tomatoes with 2 tbsp of the olive oil and a little salt, and spread everything out on a large baking tray.

2. 2.

   Roast until the skins blister — Roast for 50-55 minutes, turning the vegetables once halfway, until the skins blister and blacken in patches and the flesh gives completely under the back of a spoon. Take out the tomatoes and peppers earlier if they collapse before the aubergines.

3. 3.

   Steam to loosen the skins — Tip the scalding vegetables into a bowl and cover tightly with a plate or foil. Leave them to steam for 20 minutes — the trapped steam loosens the skins so they peel away in whole sheets.

4. 4.

   Peel and tear into strips — Peel everything with your fingers, pulling away the stalks and seeds. Tear the flesh lengthways into finger-wide strips and lay it in a shallow dish, then strain the juices left in the bowl and keep them.

5. 5.

   Dress and leave to marinate — Whisk the crushed garlic, vinegar, remaining olive oil, salt and pepper into the reserved roasting juices. Spoon the dressing over the strips, turn them gently so every one is coated, and leave to marinate for 30 minutes.

6. 6.

   Finish with parsley and oil — Serve at room temperature, scattered with parsley and finished with a last thread of olive oil. It keeps for three days covered in the fridge and is arguably better on the second day.