Ingredients
Vegetables
- 3 kgred peppers, or a mix of red and gogosari
- 2 kgaubergines
- 1 kgonions, finely chopped
Also
- 500 mlsunflower oil
- 400 gtomato paste
- 3bay leaves
- 1 tbspblack peppercorns
- salt
To acidify, if jarring
- 100 mlwhite wine vinegar, or the juice of 3 lemons
Optional
- 500 gmushrooms
- or 500 g cooked beans, for the bean version
- 1chilli
Equipment
- a very large heavy pot
- a long wooden spoon
- clean jars
To serve
- cold, on bread, through the winter
Directions
- Discard without tasting any jar that is bulging, leaking, smells wrong or fizzes when opened. Roast the peppers and aubergines whole over a flame, on a barbecue or under a hot grill until blackened all over. This is not gentle roasting: the skins should be charred and blistered, and that smoke is the defining flavour of zacuscă.
- Peel off all the blackened skin. Peel them thoroughly. Do not rinse them under water, which washes away the smoky flavour you have just spent an hour making.
- Deseed the peppers and drain everything in a colander for an hour. Drain them properly. Roasted vegetables release an enormous amount of liquid and it would otherwise have to be boiled off later.
- Chop the flesh by hand with a knife, or put it through a coarse mincer. Hand-chopped gives a rough, textured spread and a blender gives a smooth purée. Cook the finely chopped onions in the oil over a low heat for 30 to 40 minutes.
- Cook them until they are completely soft and golden and have almost dissolved. Do not let them brown hard, which makes the whole batch taste scorched. Simmer it over a low heat for 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours, stirring often.
- Stir it regularly and scrape the base with a long spoon, since it catches and burns readily and a burnt patch ruins the entire batch. It is done when it has darkened considerably and the oil has separated and risen to the surface.
- Stir the vinegar through and simmer 10 minutes more. Taste it and season, and expect it to be smoky, sweet and rich. Now pack it into clean jars while hot, or cool it and freeze it in portions. Serve it cold or at room temperature, spread thickly on good bread.
Technique
- Low-acid preserves carry a real botulism risk and pressure canning is the only reliable domestic sterilisation.
- Freezing suits it very well and avoids the question entirely.
- The separated oil on the surface is the traditional sign it is cooked enough.
Substitutions
- Mushrooms in place of aubergine, which is a common variant.
- Cooked beans, for zacuscă de fasole.
Variations
- Zacuscă de ciuperci, with mushrooms.
- Zacuscă de fasole, with beans.
- With chilli, for a hot version.
History
Roasted aubergine and pepper spread cooked in autumn and jarred for winter; the name is Slavic for appetiser.
Frequently asked questions
What is Zacuscă?
Zacuscă is a sauce & condiment from Romania: aubergine and roasted pepper spread canned for winter. Roasted aubergine and pepper spread cooked in autumn and jarred for winter; the name is Slavic for appetiser.
How long does Zacuscă take to make?
Zacuscă takes 1 hr of preparation and 2 hr of cooking. The recipe makes about 3 kg. It is rated medium to make.
What can I substitute in Zacuscă?
Yes, within limits. Mushrooms in place of aubergine, which is a common variant. Cooked beans, for zacuscă de fasole.
What is the most important thing to get right in Zacuscă?
Peel off all the blackened skin. Peel them thoroughly. Do not rinse them under water, which washes away the smoky flavour you have just spent an hour making.
