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Zacuscă
Moldavian roasted aubergine and pepper spread for the winter jars
Zacuscă is the autumn preserve of Moldavia and Transylvania: in Iași and the villages around it, families spend a September weekend charring aubergines and red peppers over a grill and slowly frying them down with onion and tomato into a thick, chunky spread. The jars go into the cellar and come out all winter, spread on bread or eaten with mămăligă during the Orthodox fasts. It is coarser and more oniony than smooth Balkan ajvar, with bay and a long, jammy cook. Chef's tip: let the onions go fully soft and sweet before adding anything else; rushing them leaves a sharp, raw edge that the long cook never removes.
- Total time
- 130 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Char 2 ¼ lb aubergines and 2 ¼ lb red romano peppers over a gas flame, on a barbecue or under a very hot grill, turning, until the skins are blackened and blistered all over and the flesh collapses.
25 minStep 2: Put the peppers in a bowl, cover and leave to steam for 10 minutes. Lay the aubergines in a colander and let the bitter juices drain.
10 minStep 3: Peel both, discard the pepper seeds and chop everything into rough 1 cm pieces. Don't blend: the spread should stay chunky.
10 minStep 4: Heat ¾ cup sunflower oil in a wide heavy pan over a medium-low heat and fry 3 onions, stirring now and then, until soft, golden and sweet.
15 minStep 5: Add the peppers and cook for 10 minutes, then add the aubergines, 1 ¾ cups tomato passata, 2 tbsp tomato paste, 2 bay leaves, 2 tsp salt, 1 tsp sugar and ½ tsp black peppercorns.
10 minStep 6: Simmer gently, uncovered, stirring often and scraping the bottom, until thick and glossy and the oil pools at the edges when you drag a spoon through it.
50 minStep 7: Remove the bay leaves. Spoon hot into sterilised jars, seal and keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, or process the jars in a water bath for 30 minutes to store in the cellar.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 150 kcal
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbs
- 10 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does zacuscă take?
- About 130 minutes in total: 40 minutes to prepare and 90 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 12 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of onions?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of tomato passata?
- Chopped tomatoes, blended smooth.
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