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Paula Wolfert’s Ajvar

Proust had madeleines; Paula Wolfert has eggplants. Her love of nightshades was seeded in her childhood, and this is her best guess at her grandmother’s recipe for a Balkan eggplant spread she often made when Paula was growing up. Tangy and only faintly garlicky, it’s an ideal accompaniment to just about anything: grilled skewered meats (like the sausages that follow), grilled fish or vegetables, or spread on bread in a turkey or tofu sandwich. —Emily Kaiser Thelin Excerpted from Unforgettable: The Bold Flavors of Paula Wolfert’s Renegade Life
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Ingredients
  

  • 3 or 4 sweet red bell peppers about 4 ounces each
  • 1 poblano pepper about 4 ounces
  • 2 eggplants about 12 ounces each
  • 2 garlic cloves peeled
  • ½ teaspoon flaky sea salt
  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil + more for topping
  • 1 tablespoon unfiltered cider vinegar
  • Heaping ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • Pinch of mild red pepper flakes preferably Aleppo or Marash (optional)
  • Pinch of cayenne pepper optional

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
  • Char the red bell peppers and poblano pepper by setting them directly on a gas burner with the flame turned to medium-high and rotating them as they blacken. If the skins are fully charred but the flesh is not yet tender, transfer the peppers to a foil-lined sheet pan and bake until soft to the point of collapsing, 10 to 25 minutes depending on the thickness of the peppers.
  • Pierce the eggplants a few times with a sharp knife. Set them on a foil-lined sheet pan and bake until soft to the point of collapsing, 30 to 40 minutes.
  • Transfer the vegetables to a large bowl, cover with a plate or plastic wrap, and let steam and cool.
  • Using your fingers or a paring knife, peel the eggplants and the peppers. Remove any large seed pockets in the eggplant, and then stem and seed the peppers. Transfer the vegetables to a large bowl. Using your hands, pull the peppers and eggplant apart into chunks, then massage them between your fingers to form a coarse paste. Set aside.
  • Using a mortar and pestle, the back of a heavy knife and a cutting board, or a mini food processor, crush together the garlic and salt, forming a paste. Add the garlic paste, olive oil, vinegar, black pepper and the red pepper flakes and cayenne, if using, to the eggplant mixture and mix well. Taste and adjust the seasoning with more vinegar, salt, and black, red and cayenne pepper if needed.
  • Transfer to a jar and top with ¼-inch layer of olive oil. Cover tightly and refrigerate at least overnight before serving. Season lightly once more before serving.