Zacusca – Romanian spread

Ingredients for 10 servings:

• 3 kg bell pepper(s), red
• 3 kg eggplant(s)
• 500 g onion(s)
• 10 garlic cloves
• 1 tsp sugar
• 10 bay leaves
• 200 g paprika paste
• salt and pepper
• Paprika powder, sweet
• Paprika powder, hot

Instructions

Working time approx. 1 hour; Cooking/baking time approx. 5 hours; Total time approx. 6 hours

Quarter the peppers, remove the seeds, and peel them with a vegetable peeler. Grill the peeled quarters in a preheated oven at 200°C for about 10-15 minutes. This is best done in a casserole dish, as the peppers will release their juices, which you can use later. You can also grill the peppers unpeeled and remove the skin later, but this is very time-consuming. Peel the eggplants with a vegetable peeler, halve them, and grill them in the oven at 200°C for 10-15 minutes. Chop the onions, press the garlic, and fry them in a large pot with the sugar until golden brown. Finely chop the grilled eggplants and peppers and fry them briefly in the pot. Add the bay leaves, passata, and paprika paste, and simmer on low heat for about 4-5 hours. Stir every 20 minutes to prevent the mixture from burning. You can add the juice from the grilled bell peppers at any time. I recommend seasoning the paste after cooking, as the flavor changes during cooking. Paprika paste is usually quite salty, so be careful when seasoning. Add salt, pepper, and paprika powder (sweet and hot) to taste. If you like your spread creamy, you should briefly blend everything with an immersion blender (not too much, or it will be too runny), but the long cooking time will ensure that the vegetables don’t stay in pieces anyway. Remove the bay leaves. The paste is not only suitable as a spread, but also as a dip and as an addition to sauces and soups. The leftover paste is usually preserved, as it’s not really worth making a small portion. The paste is then filled into jars, screwed tightly on the lids, and boiled in a pot for 10 minutes. Then cover and leave to rest for a few hours. The paste will then keep for a good three months.