Zacusca is a tangy, flavorful spread that will become your favorite in no time. Whether you don’t know what to choose for dinner or need a quick snack, opening a jar of eggplant zacusca will get you out of a jam.
Because you can now find juicy and tasty vegetables on the market, you can try the following zacusca recipe. The spread is made from baked and roasted vegetables. The secret is to make sure they’re well cooked and have been grown as naturally as possible.
Below is the list of ingredients you need and how to make zacusca.
Ingredients
- 6 kg eggplants
- 4 kg long pointy and bell peppers (you can use 2 kg of each)
- 2 kg onions
- 1 kg broth
- 500 ml sunflower oil
- 2 sprigs fresh lovage
- Salt and ground pepper
Preparation
The first step to making eggplant zacusca is to cook the eggplants and peppers. If you can, roast them on a grill, as this way they will turn out much tastier. Once they have cooled a little, peel and chop them finely. Leave the eggplants to drain on a wooden chopping board or in a sieve.
Onions can be chopped in a meat grinder so you don’t have to chop them by hand. Once chopped, sauté it in oil over low heat. Add salt and the eggplants, and cook stirring from time to time so they don’t stick.
When softened, add the roasted peppers, stock and pepper. You may also add chili paste if you like a spicy taste. Bring to the boil and, when it’s simmering, add the drained and chopped eggplants and a few bay leaves. Simmer the eggplant sauce for 50-60 minutes.
Be sure to stir often so it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot. When it’s ready, just put it in jars.
How to preserve zacusca for the winter
To keep well, you need to sterilize the jars.
Once you have sterilized the jars and have filled them with zacusca, seal them tightly. Then put a few blankets over them and leave to cool gradually. Remove the blankets only when the jars are completely cool.