Escalivada with Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Try this Catalan recipe for roasted vegetables called Escalivada. It's a terrific tapa, appetizer or side dish that pairs well with extra virgin olive oil.

Escalivada comes from the word "escalivar" which means to cook in ashes. It is pronounced es-cal-ee-BA-da. It might be hard to say, but it is easy to make. You can prepare this recipe on a gas grill, charcoal grill or in the oven.

Ingredients

• 1 large eggplant
• 2 bell peppers (red is traditional but yellow and orange peppers will work)
• 1 small Spanish onion
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Oven Instructions

• Wash the eggplant and peppers and peel the outer layer of the onion. Cut the onion in half.
• Rub each vegetable with extra virgin olive oil and place on a baking sheet or in a baking dish.
• Roast the vegetables whole in the oven at 350ºF (180ºC)for one hour or more. You know that the vegetables are done when the eggplant loses its shape and collapses. The onion should be soft and the peppers should be wrinkly.
• Remove from the oven and allow the vegetables to cool.
• Once cool, you will be able to easily peel the skins off the peppers and eggplant. Discard the pepper and eggplant seeds. Shred them by hand into strips or you can use a knife.
• Cut the onion into strips or slices.

Grill Instructions

• Wash the eggplant and peppers and peel the outer layer of the onion. Do not peel the onion.
• Rub each vegetable with extra virgin olive oil.
• Grill the vegetables on low heat. The outside of the vegetables will char.
• The veggies are done when the eggplant collapses and is very soft inside. The peppers will be blistered on the outside. The onion should be soft.
• Remove from grill to a dish and allow to cool.
• Once cool, you will be able to easily peel the skins off the onion, peppers and eggplant. Discard the pepper and eggplant seeds. Shred them by hand into strips or you can use a knife.
• Cut the onion into strips or slices.

You can also wrap the vegetables in foil and nestle the vegetables in the smoldering coals that remain after cooking something else. It should take around 1 hour.

To serve

• Arrange the vegetables on a plate.
• Pour a generous amount of extra virgin olive oil onto the vegetables. The olive oil is a really important part of this dish. Don't skimp!
• Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of sherry vinegar and salt
• Garnish with a clove of raw garlic (minced) and chopped parsley.

How to eat it

• Serve it on top of toast in the style of bruschetta.
• Serve it alongside or underneath grilled fish or meat.
• Top it with high quality tuna or anchovies and serve as a tapa.