Poor Mans Caviar Baklazhannaya Ikra Food

BAKLAZHANNAIA IKRA, THE "POOR MAN'S CAVIAR"

Steps:

• Preheat the oven at 220°C (425°F).
• Wash the veggies (eggplant, bell pepper and tomatoes), and place directly on the oven rack to "grill" for about 1 hour. Place an iron baking tray, lined with parchment paper under the rack, to collect the juices (it avoids messing up your oven). Check the veggies every 25 minutes, and turn them, to allow the skin to char evenly.
• About 10 minutes before the 1 hour needed for your vegetables to char has passed, heat olive oil into a non-stick deep frying pan, then add shallots and parsley stems, and sauté for 5 minutes over medium heat. Pour 100 ml dry white wine (or water) into the pan, before adding the garlic. Stir often, to avoid burning. Add the garlic, and cook for about 3 more minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat.
• Remove the eggplant, tomato and bell pepper from the oven, and allow to cool off for about 10 minutes (you should be able to handle them without getting burned). Peel off their skins, then chop finely.
• Return to your frying pan, and bring it back to a boiling point, before pouring the roasted tomatoes, eggplant and bell pepper. Cook for 7-10 more minutes, allowing the flavors to blend. Season with salt, pepper, and lemon juice, stir well, and let the dish cool off. If you like spicy foods, add a dash of Tabasco sauce, or a sprinkle of chili flakes.
• To get a true Russian dish, make sure you prepare a centerpiece while you wait for your Baklazhannaia Ikra to cool off. The picture accompanying the recipe should inspire you. Make sure that the salad, and all other raw ingredients are dry before placing the bread or the crackers onto the plate.
• You could also serve Baklazhannaia Ikra simply, as a spread, directly onto bread, without wasting time on decorating. It tastes very nice hot, but it is best enjoyed cold.

POOR MAN'S CAVIAR

Steps:

• Toss all ingredients to combine. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 3 hours or overnight to allow flavors to come together.
• Serve cold or at room temperature.

POOR MAN'S CAVIAR

Steps:

• For an authentic smoky flavor, roast each unpeeled eggplant by laying it directly over a low, open, gas flame, and turn every minute with a pair of tongs until the skin is completely charred and the eggplant is very soft and limp (about 20 to 30 minutes).
• Alternatively, prick the eggplants all over and roast on a baking tray in the middle of a preheated 400 degree Farhenheit oven, for 45 minutes, or until until the insides are very soft and the outsides are dry and almost crisp.
• Let the eggplants cool briefly, then peel (the skin should come off easily) or scrape out the flesh.
• Puree eggplant pulp in a blender.
• Heat a little olive oil in a fry pan or skillet, and fry the onion until it becomes pink-brown.
• Add the tomato, green bell pepper and salt and pepper, and cook over low to moderate heat for several minutes until soft (also add 1 to 2 cloves garlic, chopped, at this stage if desired).
• Rub as much of this mixture, as possible, through a sieve and mix with the eggplant puree.
• Check the seasonings and stir in the lemon juice, adding a teaspoon more at a time, to taste, if desired.
• The consistency should be that of thick mayonnaise.
• Garnish with freshly chopped parsley and serve, as an appetiser, with chunks of Turkish bread.

POOR MAN'S CAVIAR

Steps:

• Stir together avocados, tomatoes, green onions, black beans, and Mexicorn. Stir in red wine vinegar, canola oil, and hot pepper sauce. Cover, and chill 1 hour.

BAKLAZHANOVAYA IKRA - EGGPLANT (AUBERGINE) CAVIAR

Steps:

• Pierce an eggplant with a fork in several places, put on a baking sheet and bake, about an hour to an hour and a half (for your desired tenderness), turning while baking, until soft in a 325 degree oven.
• Refrigerate until cool.
• Cut the eggplant, lengthwise, in half and scoop out the pulp.
• Chop the pulp until very fine.
• Mix onion, tomatoes, eggplant pulp, garlic, oil, and vinegar together and season with salt and pepper.
• Cover and refrigerate for several hours.
• Baklazhanovaya Ikra is served with chopped parsley.