Escalivada is proof that some of the best dishes come from doing almost nothing to good ingredients. Eggplant, red peppers, and onions go into a hot oven whole, skin on, until they collapse and blister, then get peeled, sliced into strips, and dressed with nothing more than good olive oil and garlic. That’s it. That’s the whole recipe, and it’s better than dishes with three times the ingredient list.
Escalivada comes from Catalonia, in the northeast of Spain, and it earns its place on any table: it is unfussy, better the next day, and makes vegetables taste like they mean it. If you have made the Spanish tomato toast (recipe on the site) or Patatas bravas (recipe on the site), this is their quieter, smokier cousin.
A big tray stretches across a week: on toast, alongside grilled fish, folded into an omelet, or eaten straight from the fridge.
Escalivada Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 medium eggplants
- 3 red bell peppers
- 2 medium onions, unpeeled
- 2 ripe tomatoes (optional)
- 1/4 cup good olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 1 garlic clove, minced, or 1 clove for rubbing
- Salt, to taste
- Splash of sherry vinegar
- Anchovy fillets or fresh goat cheese, for serving (optional)
- Crusty bread, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425F. Place the whole eggplants, peppers, onions, and tomatoes if using directly on a baking sheet.
- Roast, turning once or twice, for 40 to 50 minutes, until the skins are blistered and charred in spots and the vegetables are fully soft. The peppers and tomatoes will likely finish before the eggplant and onions; remove each as it’s done.
- Transfer the roasted vegetables to a bowl and cover tightly, or wrap in foil, to steam for 15 minutes; this makes peeling much easier.
- Peel the skins from the eggplant, peppers, and onions, and remove the pepper seeds. Slice everything into thick strips, discarding any tough cores.
- Arrange the strips on a platter. Season with salt, drizzle with olive oil, scatter the garlic over, and add a splash of sherry vinegar.
- Top with anchovies or goat cheese if using, and serve at room temperature with crusty bread.
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