Ajvar

Step 1: Heat the oven to 475°F (or use a hot barbecue). Lay the whole 4 ⅜ lb long red peppers and the whole 1 aubergine, pricked a few times with a fork, on lined trays.

Step 2: Roast, turning every 10 minutes, until the pepper skins are blistered and blackened in big patches and the aubergine has collapsed and feels completely soft when pressed. The peppers take about 30 minutes, the aubergine up to 45.

Step 3: Pile the hot peppers into a large bowl, cover with a plate and leave them to steam for 15 minutes; this loosens the skins.

Step 4: Peel the peppers, pull out the stalks and scrape away the seeds, working over a sieve set on a bowl to catch the juices. Split the aubergine and scoop the flesh away from the skin. Leave the peeled flesh in a colander for 20 minutes so the watery liquid drips away.

Step 5: Chop the peppers and aubergine finely by hand, or pulse in a food processor to a coarse, slightly rough paste; don't blend it smooth like soup.

Step 6: Warm 3 tbsp of 2 tbsp sunflower oil in a wide, heavy pan over a medium-low heat. Add the pepper paste and bring to a gentle, plopping simmer.

Step 7: Cook for about an hour, stirring every few minutes with a long wooden spoon and scraping the bottom, adding the rest of the ½ cup sunflower oil a splash at a time. It is ready when it has darkened to a deep brick red, the oil glistens on top, and a spoon dragged across the bottom leaves a clear trail for a second. Turn the heat down if it spits or starts to catch.

Step 8: Stir in 3 cloves garlic, 2 tbsp white wine vinegar, 1 tsp sugar, 2 tsp salt and the ½ tsp dried chilli flakes if you want it hot, and cook for 5 minutes more. Taste: it should be sweet, smoky and gently sharp.

Step 9: Spoon into hot, sterilised jars, pressing out air pockets, and finish each with a thin layer of oil. Cool, then keep in the fridge for up to 3 weeks. Serve at room temperature with bread and white cheese.