Recipe: Quick & Easy Catalan Escalivada
Escalivada is a traditional Catalan dish made with peppers, aubergines and onions. The name escalivada comes from the Catalan verb escalivar, meaning to cook slowly in ashes for a char-grilled result. However, this recipe uses the more common method of oven roasting the vegetables. It’s a wonderfully simple dish that is perfect to enjoy on its own with a glass of wine and some crusty bread, and you'll often find it on menus as an appetizer or as an accompaniment to a hearty meat dish. Sometimes instead of adding anchovies it is paired with sausage, such as butifarra or fuet, or goats’ cheese. Escalivada is typically served warm, but can be enjoyed at any temperature.
INGREDIENTS
- 2 red peppers
- 2 aubergines
- 2 medium onions
- 2 garlic cloves
- 100 g black olives
- 12 anchovies
- Olive oil and salt to taste
METHOD
- Pre-heat the oven to 200°C.
- Wash and pat dry the vegetables.
- Toss the peppers, onions, aubergines and garlic in olive oil, and place them on a tray in the oven for about 50 minutes.
- Halfway through cooking, after about 20-25 minutes, take them out and turn them.
- When cooked, leave them in the oven to cool. Once cool, peel and remove the seeds from the peppers and aubergines.
- Cut the peppers, aubergines and onions into strips, and lay them out in a dish, together with the black olives and anchovies.
- Season everything with pepper, salt and oil to taste. The vegetables are typically served with toasted pa de vidre—Catalan flatbread
Chef's Tips
- For more flavor, the vegetables can be cooked in a wood burning oven (if available).
- If the dish is a little too simple for you, feel free to add roasted sausages, tuna, cod, herring, roast potatoes or other vegetables, such as courgette or tomatoes.