Russian Eggplant Caviar Ikra Food

EGGPLANT CAVIAR

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Puncture the eggplant all around with a sharp knife. Place on a baking sheet or shallow baking dish and bake about 1 1/2 hours until it is very soft.
• Meanwhile soak anchovy fillets in cold water for about 10 minutes. Pat dry and smash with a fork. Place anchovy in a large bowl; add garlic, shallot, capers and pepper. Add a tablespoon olive oil and mix. Set aside.
• Once eggplant is done, allow to rest until is cool enough to handle. Cut open and scoop out the pulp into a large strainer. Scrape the inside of the skin with a spoon to remove all the pulp. Press pulp into strainer to remove as much moisture as you can. Let drain about 10 minutes, then transfer to a cutting board; chop fine.
• Place chopped eggplant in the bowl with the other ingredients and mix well. Add remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil and mix until smooth. Add lemon juice to taste and salt to taste. Spoon into a serving bowl and sprinkle with chopped parsley.
• Place egg in a small serving bowl; red onion in another small bowl; capers in another bowl; and Greek yogurt in still another small bowl. Serve with toast or pita wedges.

EGGPLANT (AUBERGINE) SALAD/CAVIAR

Steps:

• Chop and caramelize the onions on a skillet (with a little bit of olive oil) over medium heat until they are golden but not burnt.
• While the onions are cooking, without peeling the eggplant, cut it into about 1/2 inch cubes. And place in a large bowl.
• Chop the bell pepper and add to bowl.
• Cut the tomatoes and add to bowl.
• Take the cooked onions, finely chop them, and add to bowl.
• Add the red pepper flakes, salt, and finely chopped garlic to the bowl.
• Mix all the ingredients in the bowl and transfer to a 12 inch non-stick skillet.
• Pour the contents of the tomato can on top of what's in the skillet and mix it a little bit.
• Cover with a lid and cook on low/medium heat. Keep mixing the contents every 10-15 minutes to cook things evenly and prevent burning. If you notice sticking to pan, reduce heat.
• The dish is ready when most of the liquid has evaporated and all the ingredients are soft and fully cooked. Approximately 45 minutes.
• Place in fridge to cool the salad since it's best served chilled.

RUSSIAN EGGPLANT CAVIAR

Steps:

• Bake eggplant, allow to cool, skin, & mince finely.
• Saute onion & pepper in 1 tb of oil until onion is browned.
• Add adding remaining oil.
• Add tomato paste, stir well & simmer for 5-mins.
• Add vinegar, sugar, salt & pepper & ceggplant.
• Stir well & cook slowly for 30-mins on a low-heat.
• If necessary you may add more oil to prevent mixture from sticking & thus burning.
• Remove from heat, cool to room temp, then refrigerate.
• Serve cold on thinly sliced black bread with butter & freshly chopped onion if desired.

BAKLAZHANNAIA IKRA (POOR MAN'S CAVIAR)

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Bake the eggplant on a baking sheet in the center of the oven, turning it over once or twice, until it is soft and its skin is charred and blistered, about 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, in a skillet, cook the onions in 4 tablespoons oil over medium heat until they are soft but not brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the green pepper and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes longer. With a rubber spatula, scrape the contents of the skillet into a mixing bowl.
• Remove the skin from the baked eggplant with a small, sharp knife, then chop the eggplant pulp finely, almost to a pure. Add it to the mixing bowl and stir in the tomatoes, sugar, salt and a few grindings of black pepper. Mix together thoroughly. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in the skillet over moderate heat and pour in the eggplant mixture. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, then turn the heat to low, cover the skillet, and simmer for 1 hour.
• Uncover and cook 30 minutes, stirring from time to time, until all the moisture in the pan has evaporated and the mixture is thick enough to hold its shape in a spoon. Stir in 2 tablespoons lemon juice and taste for seasoning, adding salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste. Transfer the “caviar" to a mixing bowl and chill, covered with plastic wrap, until ready to serve. Serve on squares of bread or on sesame-seed crackers.

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.