Ajvar Eggplant Aubergine Peppers Food

AJVAR (SERBIAN ROASTED RED PEPPER SAUCE) RECIPE

Steps:

• Light one chimney full of charcoal. When all the charcoal is lit and covered with gray ash, pour out and arrange coals on one side of the charcoal grate. Set cooking grate in place, cover grill and allow to preheat for 5 minutes. Clean and oil the grilling grate. Place peppers on hot side of grill and cook until blackened all over, 10-15 minutes. Transfer pepper to a large bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let sit until cool enough to handle, about 20 minutes. Remove charred skin, seeds, and cores from peppers.
• While the peppers are cooling, pierce skin of eggplant with a fork all over. Place eggplant on cool side of grill. Cover and cook until skin darkens and wrinkles and eggplant is uniformly soft when pressed with tongs, about 30 minutes, turning halfway through for even cooking. Remove eggplant from grill and let sit until cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes. Trim top off eggplant and split lengthwise. Using a spoon, scoop out flesh of eggplant; discard skin.
• Place roasted red peppers, eggplant pulp, and garlic in a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Pulse until roughly chopped. Add in oil, vinegar, and salt and pulse until incorporated and peppers are finely chopped.
• Transfer sauce to a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper to taste. Let cool to room temperature then use immediately or transfer to an airtight container and store in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

AJVAR (EGGPLANT (AUBERGINE) & PEPPERS)

Steps:

• Bake eggplants and sweet peppers at 350 F until tender when pierced with a fork.
• Peel skin from hot vegetables and chop or mince the vegetables.
• Season to taste with salt and pepper and stir in the garlic and lemon juice.
• Gradually stir in as much of the oil as the vegetables will absorb.
• Mix well.
• Pile into a glass dish and sprinkle with parsley.

RED PEPPER-EGGPLANT AJVAR

Steps:

• Heat oven to 475 degrees. Place peppers, eggplant and garlic on a baking sheet and roast; remove garlic after 10 minutes and place in a large bowl. Continue roasting peppers and eggplant until blackened and soft, about 20 minutes more, then add to bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let steam until cool enough to handle. Remove and discard all peels, seeds and stems.
• In a food processor, combine pepper flesh, eggplant flesh and garlic with oil and salt and pepper; pulse until mixture is almost smooth. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Serve with Balkan burgers (pljeskavica, see recipe) or as a dip.

CROATIAN AJVAR (PEPPER AND EGGPLANT SAUCE)

Steps:

• Heat oven to 475 degrees. Roast washed eggplants and peppers until their skins blister and turn black, about 30 minutes. Turn to ensure entire vegetable is roasted.
• Once roasted set vegetables in a heatproof bowl to steam. This well help to remove skin. Remove skin and seeds/stems.
• In a large bowl, mash vegetables. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add garlic and drizzle in oil, stirring constantly.
• Store covered and refrigerated for up to 1 week.