Catalan Vegetable Medley
Escalivada
Region: Spain, Catalonia
Category: Vegetables
Season: Any
Difficulty: Easy but labor intensive

Escalivar means "to cook in hot ashes." Typically the vegetables in an escalivada are grilled, and the dish is served with grilled meats. Mountain shepherds were adept at packing their rucksacks with some cheese and wine, perhaps, and building a hardwood fire near a revetment of their sheep's pasture where they could grill a medley of vegetables. Some writers call this a Catalan- style ratatouille but escalivada more closely resembles the Tunisian salata mishwiyya, to which it may be historically related. The excellence of this dish comes from absolutely fresh vegetables. Since not everyone has a grill, I provide this alternative to grilling; otherwise, pull out the grill and follow the variation below.

Yield: Makes 4 servings
Preparation Time: 2 hours

1 eggplant (about 1 1/2 pounds), peeled and sliced       Salt     6 cups pure or virgin olive or olive pomace oil for frying     5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil     1 large onion, chopped     1 green bell pepper, peeled, seeded and quartered     8 ripe but firm plum tomatoes, peeled and seeded if desired, cut in half

Freshly ground black pepper to taste     For the vinaigrette sauce (whisked together):     1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil     2 tablespoons red wine vinegar     1 garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped     1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley leaves       Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. Lay the eggplant slices on some paper towels and sprinkle with salt. Leave them to drain of their bitter juices for 30 minutes, then pat dry with more paper towels.

2. Preheat the frying oil in a deep-fryer or an 8-inch diameter saucepan with a basket insert to 375 degrees F. Fry the eggplant slices in batches until golden brown, 7 to 8 minutes. Drain on paper towels and let cool. Let the frying oil cool completely, strain, and save for a future use.

3. In a large stove-top and ovenproof casserole, heat 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil over a medium heat, then cook the onion until translucent, 6 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the eggplant slices, bell pepper, tomatoes, and a sprinkling of salt and pepper. Mix gently. Pour the remaining 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil over the vegetables and bake uncovered for 1 hour. Let cool, then serve with the vinaigrette poured over.

Variation: Prepare a hot charcoal fire or preheat a gas grill for 15 minutes on high. Grill the whole unpeeled and uncored green pepper until its skin blisters black, about 45 minutes. Slip off the skin, remove the core and seeds, and cut into quarters. Pat dry the eggplant after leeching its bitter juices, brush with olive oil, and grill until the pieces have attractive grid marks, about 10 minutes on each side. Boil the whole onion in water to cover for 10 minutes. Peel, split in half, brush with oil, and grill for 30 minutes over a low or dying fire until it is browned and easily pierced with a fork. Mix the grilled pepper, eggplant, and onion and serve with the vinaigrette.

Posted: 01/11/2007

Referenced Recipes:

Grilled Salad