Romanian Zacusca

Total Time: 1 hr Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• 8 lbs fresh eggplants
• 6 lbs red peppers
• 2 lbs onions
• 2 teaspoons salt (to taste)
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 cups tomato paste
• 2 cups olive oil

Recipe

• 1 over an open flame (gas stove or grill) completely blacken the skins of the eggplants and peppers.
• 2 peel skins off immediately. easiest way to get the last bits off is to do it under a slow running faucet.
• 3 puree each of the three vegetables separately in a food processor. and place each in a separate bowl when you are finished.
• 4 place oil and onion in a large pot.
• 5 saute onions for about 4 minutes over medium-low heat.
• 6 add eggplant, onion, salt and pepper.
• 7 cook until a thin layer of oil remains on top and when a spoonful of zacusca is removed, only the oil should run off the spoon, not the zacusca.
• 8 taste and adjust salt and pepper to meet your tastes.
• 9 spoon mixture into sterilized jars of your choosing. it is easiest if they are all the same size.
• 10 wipe rims clean and place clean lids and rings on jars.
• 11 place into a single layer in large pot (water bath canner if you have one).
• 12 fill pot with water up to the necks of the jars. bring to a boil and boil for 20 minutes.
• 13 remove from heat and allow to cool in water bath.
• 14 when cool remove from water and you are ready to go. if oil separates just mix it back in when ready to serve.
• 15 note: my original romanian recipe calls for a full liter of oil but results in a much heavier and oilier zacusca. i cut mine back substantially from the original.