Zacusca

Ingredients for 1 servings:

• 5 kg eggplant(s)
• 3 kg bell pepper(s), red
• 1 ½ kg onion(s)
• 2 m.-sized carrot(s)
• 800 ml tomatoes, pureed
• 900 ml sunflower oil
• 6 bay leaves
• Salt and pepper, black

Instructions

Working time approx. 3 hours; Rest period approx. 1 day; Cooking/baking time approx. 4 hours 30 minutes; Total time approx. 1 day 7 hours 30 minutes

Romanian spread

It’s best to prepare the eggplants a day in advance so enough juices can drain away. If you need to do it faster, start about two hours in advance. Preheat the oven to 220-230 degrees Celsius (fan/grill) or 200 degrees Celsius (top/bottom heat). Pierce many small holes in the eggplants with a fork or knife to prevent them from bursting. Then place the whole eggplants on a baking tray lined with baking paper and bake in the middle rack of the oven for about one hour. Turn them over after 30 minutes. The eggplants should be very soft. When they’re ready, place them in a colander to cool. Once they’ve cooled slightly, remove the skin and place the eggplants back in a colander for at least one hour (preferably overnight) to allow the liquid to drain (this contains a lot of bitter substances). While the eggplants are cooling, prepare the peppers. Wash them and place them whole in the upper third of the oven at 220 degrees Celsius (425 degrees Fahrenheit) for about 20-30 minutes. The skin of the peppers should become quite black and blisters; this will give them a nice aroma and make them easier to peel off later. When the peppers are ready, place them either in a sealable bag or in a pot with a lid and let them cool. The seal makes peeling even easier. Once cooled, peel the peppers and remove the seeds. Drain off most of the liquid. Chop the eggplant and peppers separately, either very finely with a wooden knife or (this is what I do) puree them in a blender. Peel the onions and then chop them into very small pieces, or better yet, chop them in a blender. Now heat the oil in a large pot. First, fry the onions over low heat (about 20-30 minutes). Then add the peppers and fry for another 5-10 minutes. Then add the eggplants and simmer for another 10-15 minutes. Finally, add the passata and bay leaves. Add salt and pepper at the end, as a lot of liquid is lost during the reduction and the mixture could be overseasoned. Now simmer the mixture on low heat for about 2-3 hours and, very importantly, stir constantly, at least every 1-2 minutes, as otherwise the zacuscă will burn very quickly! Season to taste with salt and pepper towards the end. I find that this spread needs a lot of salt. When oil starts to ooze from the top layer, the zacuscă is ready. Now pour the hot spread into previously sterilized jars and seal them. With these quantities, I get 7-8 large jars (700 ml). Zacuscă is eaten with fresh white bread or as a side dish with meat.